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-Y  VII 


THE 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION 


OR, 

AN  ILLUSTRATION 

OF  THE 

MORAL  LAWS  OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 


BY 


THOMAS  DICK,  LL.D. 


AUTHOR  OF  “  THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER,”  “  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE, 
“  IMPROVEMENT  OF  SOCIETY  BY  THE  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE,”  “  MENTAL 
ILLUMINATION  AND  MORAL  IMPROVEMENT  OF  MANKIND,”  &C. 


“  Knowledge  is  Power.” — Lord  Bacon. 

“  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law.” — Paul. 


THIRD  EDITION. 


GLASGOW : 

PRINTED  FOR  WILLIAM  COLLINS; 

OLIVER  &  BOYD,  W.  WHYTE  &  CO.  AND  W.  OLIPHANT,  EDINBURGH; 
W.  F.  WAKEMAN,  AND  WM.  CURRY,  JUN.  &  CO.  DUBLIN  ; 
WHITTAKER,  TREACHER,  &  ARNOT,  HAMILTON,  ADAMS,  &  CO. 
AND  SIMPKIN  &  MARSHALL,  LONDON. 


M.DCCC.XXXV. 


Printed  by  W.  Collins  &  Co. 
Glasgow. 


JAMES  DOUGLAS,  ESQ. 


OF  CAVERS, 

C&e  follofotng;  ©EJovft, 


INTENDED  TO 

ILLUSTRATE  THE  MORAL  LAWS  OF  THE  UNIVERSE, 

IS  INSCRIBED, 

AS  A  TESTIMONY  OF  UNFEIGNED  RESPECT, 

FOR  HIS  PERSONAL  CHARACTER  AND  LITERARY  TALENTS, 

AND  FOR  THE  LIBERAL  PATRONAGE  HE  HAS  AFFORDED 
TO  THOSE  PHILANTHROPIC  INSTITUTIONS, 

WHICH  HAVE 

A  TENDENCY  TO  PROMOTE  THE  BEST  INTERESTS  OF  MANKIND, 

BY  HIS  MOST  OBEDIENT 

AND  OBLIGED  SERVANT, 


A  2 


THE  AUTHOR 


t* 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/philosophyofreli00dick_1 


PREFACE. 


To  deliueate  the  Moral  bearings  of  the  Christian 
Revelation, — to  display  the  reasonableness  and  the 
excellence  of  its  precepts,  and  the  physical  and  ra¬ 
tional  grounds  on  which  they  rest, — and  to  exhibit 
a  few  prominent  features  in  the  moral  aspect  of  the 
world — were  some  of  the  principal  objects  which  the 
Author  had  in  view,  in  the  composition  of  the  fol¬ 
lowing  work.  He  is  not  awTare  that  a  similar  train 
of  thought  has  been  prosecuted,  to  the  same  extent, 
by  any  preceding  writer;  and  is  therefore  disposed 
to  indulge  the  hope,  that  it  may  prove  both  enter¬ 
taining  and  instructive  to  the  general  reader,  and  to 
the  intelligent  Christian. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  remind  the  reader,  that 
the  Author’s  object  simply  is,  to  illustrate,  the  topics 
he  has  selected  as  the  subject  of  this  volume.  As 
he  has  taken  his  fundamental  principles  from  the 
system  of  Revelation,  he  was  under  no  necessity,  as 
most  Ethical  writers  are,  to  enter  into  any  laboured 
metaphysical  discussions  on  the  foundation  of  Mo¬ 
rality,  and  the  motives  from  which  moral  actions 
should  proceed. — The  truth  of  Revelation  is,  of 
course,  taken  for  granted ;  and  all  who  acknowledge 
its  Divine  authority,  will  readily  admit  the  principles 


VI 


PREFACE. 


which  form  the  basis  of  the  system  here  illustrated. 
But  although  it  formed  no  particular  part  of  the 
Author’s  plan  to  illustrate  the  evidences  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Revelation,  he  trusts  that  the  view  which  is  here 
given  of  the  benignant  tendency  of  its  moral  requi¬ 
sitions,  will  form  a  powerful  presumptive  argument 
in  support  of  its  celestial  origin. 

The  Christian  reader  may  also  be  reminded,  that 
it  is  only  the  Philosophy  of  Religion  which  the  Au¬ 
thor  has  attempted  to  illustrate.  It  formed  no  part 
of  his  plan  to  enter  into  any  particular  discussions 
on  the  doctrines  of  Revelation,  or  on  those  topics 
which  have  so  frequently  been  the  subject  of  contro¬ 
versy  in  the  Christian  church.  It  is  not  to  support 
the  tenets  of  Calvinism,  Arminianism,  Baxterianism, 
Arianism,  or  any  other  ism  which  distinguishes  the 
various  denominations  of  the  Religious  world,  that 
these  illustrations  are  presented  to  public  view;  but 
to  elucidate  an  object  which  appears  to  be  the  grand 
design  of  Revelation  to  accomplish,  and  in  the  pro¬ 
motion  of  which,  every  section  of  the  Christian  church 
is  equally  interested,  and  to  which  they  would  do  well 
“  to  take  heed.”  In  his  illustrations  of  this  subject, 
the  Author  has  kept  his  eye  solely  on  the  two  Re¬ 
velations  which  the  Almighty  has  given  to  mankind, 
- THE  SYSTEM  OF  NATURE,  and  the  SACRED  RE¬ 
CORDS,  just  as  they  stand, — without  any  regard  to 
the  theories  of  philosophers,  the  opinions  of  com¬ 
mentators,  or  the  systems  of  theologians.  He  is  dis¬ 
posed  to  view  the  Revelations  of  the  Bible,  rather  as 
a  series  of  important  facts ,  from  which  moral  instruc¬ 
tions  are  to  be  deduced,  than  as  a  system  of  metaphy¬ 
sical  opinions  for  the  exercise  of  the  intellect. 


PREFACE. 


Vll 


On  the  leading  topics  which  have  divided  the 
Christian  world,  the  Author  has  formed  his  own 
opinions,  and  has  adopted  those  which  he  has  judged, 
on  the  whole,  to  be  most  correct;  but  it  is  of  no  im¬ 
portance  to  the  reader  what  these  opinions  are,  or 
what  system  of  speculative  theology  he  is  inclined, 
on  the  whole,  to  support.  He  sets  very  little  value 
upon  purely  speculative  opinions,  except  in  so  far 
as  they  tend  to  promote  the  grand  moral  objects  of 
Christianity;  and,  while  he  assumes  the  unalienable 
right  of  thinking  for  himself  on  the  subject  of  reli¬ 
gion,  he  is  disposed  to  allow  the  same  privilege  to 
others.  He  believes,  on  the  authority  of  Scripture, 
that  “  God  is  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth ;” — 
that  “  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and  holy  in 
all  his  works;” — that  “he  is  good  to  all,  and  that 
his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works;” — that  “  he 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  might  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life;” — that  “  Christ  died 
for  our  sins,  that  he  was  buried,  and  that  he  rose 
again  from  the  dead,  according  to  the  Scriptures ;” 
— that  “  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  that 
he  ever  lives  to  make  intercession ;” — together  with 
all  the  other  facts  and  doctrines  with  which  these  are 
essentially  connected.  But  he  views  the  recognition 
of  such  doctrines  and  facts,  not  as  the  end  of  reli¬ 
gion,  but  only  as  the  means  by  which  the  great 
moral  objects  of  Christianity  are  to  be  promoted  and 
accomplished. 

In  illustrating  the  moral  state  of  the  world,  the 
Author  is  sorry  that  he  was  obliged  to  comprise  his 
details  within  so  narrow  limits.  Few  readers,  how- 


vm 


PREFACE. 


ever,  will  appreciate  the  labour  and  research  he  was 
under  the  necessity  of  bestowing,  in  order  to  select 
and  arrange  the  facts  which  he  has  detailed.  He 
has  occasionally  had  to  condense  a  long  history  or 
narrative,,  and  even  a  whole  volume,  into  the  com¬ 
pass  of  two  or  three  pages ;  and  to  search  through 
more  than  twenty  volumes,  in  order  to  find  materials 
to  fill  a  couple  of  pages.  With  the  same  degree  of 
research,  (excepting  the  mechanical  labour  of  tran¬ 
scription,)  he  might  have  filled  several  volumes  with 
similar  illustrations;  and  he  is  convinced  that  a  work 
of  this  description,  judiciously  executed,  would  prove 
highly  instructive,  as  well  as  entertaining,  not  only 
to  the  Christian  world,  but  to  readers  of  every  de¬ 
scription. 

Various  topics  connected  with  the  Philosophy  of 
Religion  still  remain  to  be  illustrated.  These  shall 

o 

form  the  subject  of  discussion  in  a  future  volume, 
should  the  present  work  be  received  with  general 
approbation. 

Perth,  January,  18 26. 


Advertisement  to  the  Second  Edition. 

Every  page  of  this  Edition  has  been  carefully  revised  ;  several 
redundancies  have  been  retrenched,  and  certain  errata  which  had 
crept  into  the  former  Edition  corrected;  so  that  on  the  whole 
the  present  Edition  will  be  found  considerably  improved. 

Broughty  Ferry,  near  Dundee,  ? 

May,  1830. 


Introduction, . Page  17 

Objects  of  human  knowledge — matter  and  mind,  17.  Gra¬ 
dation  of  intellectual  beings,  19.  Moral  relations  of  intelligent 
agents,  21.  Connection  of  morality  with  happiness — illustrated 
by  an  example,  22.  Inutility  of  systems  of  Ethics,  detached 
from  Revelation — Ancient  systems,  &c.  25-29. 

PRELIMINARY  DEFINITIONS  AND  REMARKS. 

Sect.  T.  On  the  primary  or  most  general  idea  of  Morality,  SO 
Physical  order  illustrated,  30.  Moral  order  illustrated,  31. 
Leading  idea  of  holiness,  34. 

Sect.  II.  On  the  fundamental  Principles  of  Morality,  .  35 


CHAPTER  I. 

ON  THE  MORAL  RELATIONS  OF  INTELLIGENT  BEINGS 
TO  THEIR  CREATOR. 

First  principle  of  moral  action — love  to  God,  .  .  37 

Sect.  I.  On  the  Omnipotence  of  God,  .  ...  38 

Power,  accompanied  with  benevolent  design,  illustrated,  38. 
Power  of  the  Creator,  in  the  production  of  the  universe,  in  the 
annual  and  diurnal  motions  of  the  earth — benevolence  displayed 
in  the  exertions  of  Omnipotence,  40-44.  Reason  why  the 
displays  of  Omnipotence  are  so  little  regarded,  45.  Power  of 
God  calculated  to  inspire  the  mind  with  confidence  in  the 
prospect  of  the  future  scenes  of  eternity,  46.  Recognised  by 
the  inspired  writers  as  a  ground  of  confidence,  49. 

A  3 


X 


CONTENTS. 


Sect.  II.  On  the  Wisdom  and  Goodness  of  God,  .  50 

Benevolence  illustrated  in  the  case  of  Howard,  50.  Bene¬ 
volence  of  the  Creator  displayed  in  the  objects  of  sight,  52.  in 
the  objects  of  hearing,  of  smelling,  of  feeling,  of  taste,  53-56. 
in  the  arrangements  of  day  and  night,  the  atmosphere,  &c.  56. 
in  the  adjustment  of  the  organs  of  sense  to  the  scenes  of  exter¬ 
nal  nature,  58.  Structure  of  the  eyes,  59.  of  the  ear,  60.  of 
the  sense  of  feeling,  63.  of  the  organs  of  taste,  64.  of  the  organs 
of  smelling,  65.  Number  of  agencies  requisite  for  the  gratifi¬ 
cation  of  this  sense,  66.  System  of  organization  in  the  human 
body,  68.  Pain  never  the  object  of  contrivance,  70.  Summary 
of  the  blessings  we  enjoy  from  the  wise  arrangements  of  the 
Creator,  71.  Benevolence  displayed  towards  other  worlds,  74. 
Illustrations  of  this  subject  from  the  sacred  writers,  75-79. 

Sect.  III.  On  the  Mercy  and  Patience  of  God,  .  80 

Mercy  and  forbearance  defined  and  illustrated,  80.  General 
character  and  conduct  of  human  beings,  82.  forbearance  of  the 
Deity  towards  them,  84.  this  character  peculiar  to  God,  86. 
calculated  to  excite  admiration,  88.  Agents  in  the  system  of 
nature,  which  could  be  employed  as  ministers  of  vengeance — 
Light,  88.  the  atmosphere,  89.  stopping  the  earth’s  motion,  or 
bending  its  axis,  90.  comets,  90.  occasional  instances  of  punish¬ 
ments  inflicted  by  the  elements  of  nature — earthquakes — the 
deluge — electrical  clouds,  &c.  92-97.  This  attribute  calculated 
to  inspire  affection,  97. 

Sect.  IV.  Of  the  Rectitude  of  the  Divine  Character,  .  97 

The  existence  of  this  attribute  proved  from  reason,  98.  from 
Scripture,  99.  Reasons  why  we  are  incompetent  to  form  a 
correct  judgment  of  the  displays  of  this  attribute,  100.  How  it 
is  displayed  in  the  ordinary  course  of  providence,  104.  Has  a 
tendency  to  inspire  us  with  confidence  and  joy,  105.  Reason 
why  the  Author  has  illustrated  this  subject  so  diffusely,  106. 
Relations  in  which  the  Deity  stands  to  us,  108. 

Sect.  V.  Modes  in  which  Love  to  God  is  displayed,  .  110 

Complacency  in  his  administration,  1 10.  Admiration  of  his 
works, 111.  Humility,  1 13.  Resignation,  1 15.  Gratitude,  1 17- 
123.  Sublimity  of  the  principle  of  love,  124.  Anecdote  of 
Kircher,  125.  Means  by  which  love  may  be  invigorated  and 
expanded,  129. 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


CHAPTER  II. 

SECOND  PRINCIPLE  OF  MORAL  ACTION - LOVE  TO  ALL 

SUBORDINATE  INTELLIGENCES. 

Sect.  I.  The  Natural  Equality  of  Mankind,  considered 
as  the  basis  of  Love  to  our  neighbour,  .  .  .  132 

Their  equality  in  respect  of  their  origin — the  mechanism  of 
their  bodies — their  mental  faculties — their  moral  depravity — 
their  pleasures,  wants,  and  afflictions — and  the  termination  of 
their  mortal  existence,  132-142.  Argument  for  love  founded 
on  these  circumstances,  143.  Advantages  of  a  subordination 
of  rank  in  the  present  world,  144. 

Sect.  II.  Of  the  Connections  and  Relations  which  sub¬ 
sist  among  Mankind,  .  .  .  .  .  .  147 

Men,  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  are  connected  together  by 
certain  ties  and  relations.  This  connection  exemplified  in  the 
different  trades  and  employments  in  our  own  country,  148.  in 
China,  Persia,  Siberia,  the  West  Indies,  Norway,  Sweden,  &c. 
149.  on  the  surface  and  in  the  bowels  of  the  ocean,  151.  in  the 
subterraneous  apartments  of  the  globe,  153.  Argument  for  uni¬ 
versal  benevolence  founded  on  these  relations,  154-157.  Phy¬ 
sical  arrangements  of  the  globe,  which  indicate  that  the  Creator 
intended  to  promote  an  extensive  and  benevolent  intercourse 
among  mankind,  157. 

Sect.  III.  The  Ultimate  Destination  of  Mankind,  a  foun¬ 
dation  for  Benevolence,  ......  159 

Importance  of  every  affection  connected  with  an  immortal  ex¬ 
istence,  160.  Interesting  views  and  relations  which  the  scenes 
of  eternity  present,  162-167.  Our  duty  towards  our  degraded 
brethren  who  are  unqualified  for  a  happy  immortality,  167. 

Sect.  IV.  On  the  Effects  which  would  ensue  were  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  Love  reversed,  and  were  rational  beings  to  act 
accordingly,  ........  168 

Effects  which  malevolence  would  produce  in  families,  and  in 
larger  societies,  169.  in  the  common  intercourse  of  life,  170. 
employments  in  which  malignant  beings  would  delight,  172- 
175.  present  an  idea  of  the  scenes  of  future  punishment,  176. 
Effects  of  malevolence  in  relation  to  the  Divine  Being,  177. 
General  tendency  of  malignant  passions,  179. 

Sect.  V.  Effects  which  would  flow  from  the  full  operation 
of  the  principle  of  Love,  ...  ,  .  .  180 


Xll 


CONTENTS. 


Evils  which  would  be  eradicated,  180-184'.  Positive  blessings 
which  would  be  enjoyed  in  families  and  larger  communities,  184. 
in  the  intercourse  of  nations,  186.  in  the  intellectual  improve¬ 
ment  and  general  melioration  of  the  condition  of  mankind,  187. 
in  the  exercise  of  kindness  and  generosity,  189.  in  the  diminu¬ 
tion  of  physical  evils,  192.  Effects  of  love  in  relation  to  God, 
194.  Studies  and  exercises  in  which  benevolent  beings  would 
engage,  195.  grand  object  at  which  they  would  aim,  198.  Pre¬ 
sent  state  of  the  moral  world,  200.  Prospect  of  melioration  in. 
future  times,  201. 

Sect.  VI.  Universality  of  the  principle  of  Love,  .  .  202' 

It  pervades  the  moral  code  of  other  worlds,  203.  Moral 
precepts  common  to  all  intelligences,  205.  Love  qualifies  us 
for  associating  with  superior  beings,  207.  connects  us  with  the 
inhabitants  of  distant  worlds,  209.  One  Religion  prevails 
throughout  the  universe,  214.  Analogy  of  love  to  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  Attraction,  214.  consequences  of  the  suspension  of  this 
principle,  218. 

Sect.  VII.  The  preceding  views  corroborated  by  Divine 

Revelation, . 220 

Historical  facts,  religious  institutions,  precepts,  &c.  of  the 
Old  Testament,  221.  Discourses  and  example  of  our  Savi¬ 
our,  224.  Writings  of  the  Apostles,  230.  Book  of  Revela¬ 
tion,  234*.  The  last  Judgment,  235. 

Sect.  VIII.  On  the  practical  operation  of  Love,  or  the 
various  modes  in  whieh  it  should  be  displayed  towards 
Mankind,  ........  237 

Activity  of  this  principle,  237.  The  benevolent  agency  of 
God  our  pattern  and  exemplar,  238.  Operation  of  love  in  re¬ 
lation  to  man,  considered  as  a  sensitive  being,  242-247.  as  an 
intellectual  being,  248.  as  an  immortal  being,  250.  Love  the 
impelling  principle  to  every  virtue,  253.  Cardinal  virtues,  &c. 
254.  Diffusive  nature  of  benevolence,  256.  Moral  systems, 
their  inutility  in  reference  to  practice,  259.  Benevolence  in 
relation  to  the  inferior  animals,  262.  Anecdotes  of  Animals — 
Arabian  horses — Baron  Trenck’s  mouse — spiders,  &c.  264. 
Concluding  extract,  268. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON  THE  MORAL  LAW,  AND  THE  RATIONAL  GROUNDS 
ON  WHICH  ITS  PRECEPTS  ARE  FOUNDED. 

Solemn  circumstances  which  attended  the  proclamation  of 
this  law  at  Sinai,  .......  27 1 


CONTENTS. 


xm 


The  First  Commandment,  .....  274* 

Tendency  of  mankind  to  violate  this  law,  276.  Idolatry  of 
the  Romans,  Egyptians,  &c.  276.  Moral  effects  produced  by 
idolatry,  279.  Cruelties  of  the  Mexicans  and  other  idolaters, 
280.  Irrationality  of  idol  worship,  282.  Mental  idolatry,  283. 

Second  Commandment, . 284 

Its  object,  284.  Impossibility  of  representing  the  Divine 
Being  by  external  forms,  285.  Debasing  tendency  of  such  at¬ 
tempts,  286.  Consequences  to  which  they  lead,  288.  The  only 
natural  image  of  God,  289.  Expansion  of  the  universe,  290. 
Christian  idolatry,  292.  Causes  of  Pagan  idolatry,  294. 

Third  Commandment, . 296 

Explained,  296.  Manner  in  which  it  is  violated,  296.  Con¬ 
sequences  which  would  follow  its  general  violation,  298.  Effects 
of  religious  veneration,  300. 

Fourth  Commandment,  . . 302 

Importance  of  the  Sabbath  to  man  as  a  day  of  rest,  302.  and 
as  a  season  for  religious  contemplation,  305.  Work  of  Crea¬ 
tion,  306.  of  Redemption,  309.  Public  worship,  31 1.  Con¬ 
sequences  which  would  follow  were  the  Sabbath  abolished,  312. 

Fifth  Commandment,  .  .  .  .  .  .  314 

General  remarks  on  the  preceding  precepts,  314.  Relations 
of  mankind,  316.  Consequences  which  would  follow  were  the 
law  which  respects  these  relations  reversed,  317.  Effects  of 
universal  obedience  to  this  precept,  319- 

Sixth  Commandment, . 322 

References  of  this  law  explained,  322.  Consequences  which 
would  flow  from  its  universal  violation,  326.  Counteraction  of 
the  principle  of  hatred,  &c.  327, 

Seventh  Commandment, . 329 

Explained,  329.  Marriage  and  Divorces,  330.  Dreadful 
effects  which  would  flow  from  universal  licentiousness,  330. 
Examples — Moral  state  of  New  York — Dismal  effects  of  pros¬ 
titution,  335.  This  law  peculiar  to  the  inhabitants  of  our 
globe,  338. 

Eighth  Commandment,  ......  339 

General  remarks,  339.  Various  modes  in  which  this  law  is 
violated,  340.  Consequences  of  its  general  violation,  341. 
Beneficial  effects  which  would  flow  from  obedience  to  its  re¬ 
quirement,  344. 

Ninth  Commandment, . 346 

Importance  of  truth  and  veracity,  346.  Veracity  the  founda- 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


tion  of  knowledge  and  confidence — of  our  future  prospects,  and 
of  our  views  of  the  character  of  the  Deity,  318.  Importance  of 
accurate  statements  of  physical  facts,  350.  Importance  of 
veracity  in  relation  to  our  improvement  in  the  eternal  world, 
352.  Various  ways  in  which  truth  is  violated,  355.  Evils 
which  have  arisen  from  its  violation,  359.  Etfects  which  would 
follow  on  its  universal  violation,  361.  Delightful  effects  which 
would  flow  from  a  universal  regard  to  truth,  366. 

Tenth  Commandment, . 369 

The  breach  of  this  law  leads  to  a  violation  of  the  other 
precepts,  369.  Avarice — its  pernicious  effects  on  individuals, 
370.  on  communities  and  nations,  the  slave  trade,  &c.  372. 
Ambition — various  ways  in  which  it  is  displayed,  373.  Its 
destructive  effects,  374.  Contentment. — its  reasonableness  and 
beneficial  effects,  376. 

General  Conclusions  founded  on  the  preceding  Illustrations,  378 
The  Moral  law  not  the  dictates  of  an  arbitrary  Sovereign,  379. 
Reasonableness  of  obedience,  381.  Connection  between  the 
precepts  of  the  Divine  law — its  universal  violation  would  lead 
.  to  the  destruction  of  mankind — has  never  yet  been  universally 
violated — is  obligatory  on  all  worlds — Divine  origin  of  the 
Christian  Revelation — Absurdity  of  Antinomianism,  382-393. 
Faith  and  repentance,  393.  Salvation  an  act  of  grace,  &c.  396- 
399. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  CURSORY  SURVEY  OF  THE  MORAL  STATE  OF  THE 

WORLD. 

Scenes  in  a  world  of  moral  perfection,  400.  Moral  aspect  of 
our  world,  403. 

Sect.  I.  State  of  Morals  in  the  ancient  world,  .  .  404 

Morals  of  the  Antediluvians  as  exhibited  in  sacred  history, 
405.  by  heathen  writers,  408.  Morals  of  the  Postdiluvians, 
410.  Warlike  dispositions  of  mankind,  412.  Wars  of  the 
Carthaginians,  412.  Summary  statement  of  the  numbers  slain 
in  various  battles,  417.  Army  of  Xerxes,  419.  Destruction 
of  human  beings  by  the  Goths,  by  Jenghiz-Khan,  by  the  Cru¬ 
sades,  &c.  420.  Numbers  slain  in  war  since  the  beginning  of 
the  world,  422.  Atrocities  connected  with  war — In  ancient 
times,  424-430.  in  modern  times,  430.  Moral  reflections,  433. 
Immoralities  connected  with  war,  434. 

Sect.  II.  Moral  state  of  Savage  Nations  in  modern  times,  438 
Prominent  dispositions  of  savage  and  half-civilized 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


tribes,  4.38.  North  American  Indians,  439.  Africans, — Ado- 
mese  negroes— Inhabitants  ofDahomy — of  Ashantee,  & c.  442. 
The  Algerines,  Gallas,  Feloops,  Boshemen,  Moors,  Bedouins, 
Egyptians, &c.  447.  Asiatics, — Mingrelians,  Tartars,  Arabians, 
Chinese,  Birmans,  Persians,  Hindoos,  &c.  450.  Islands  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean, — New  Zealanders,  New  Caledonians,  Otahei- 
tans,  &c.  455.  Warlike  attitude  of  nations,  462.  Armies 
of  Ashantee,  of  Dahomy,  of  Benin,  &c.  462.  Circassians,  South 
Sea  Islanders — Reflections,  463.  Inhumanity  of  uncivilized 
tribes  to  unfortunate  travellers.  Preliminary  Remarks, 
466.  Treatment  of  the  crew  of  the  Grosvenor  Indiaman  by  the 
Caffres,  467.  Cruel  treatment  of  M.  Brisson  and  his  compan¬ 
ions  in  Barbary,  472.  Sufferings  of  Mr.  Mungo  Park — Inhu¬ 
manity  of  the  Moors — Reflections,  475-482.  Malevolent 
dispositions  as  displayed  in  disfiguring  the  human  body. 
Symmetry  and  perfection  of  the  human  frame,  483.  Unnatural 
practices  of  the  Omaguas,  Brazilians,  New  Hollanders,  Chinese, 
&c.  484.  Cause  of  the  thick  lips  and  flat  noses  of  the  Negroes, 
488.  Pain  produced  by  tattooing,  &c.  489.  Malevolence  as 
IT  APPEARS  IN  THE  RELIGION  OF  SAVAGE  TRIBES,  490.  Religion 
of  the  Nesserie,  &c.  490.  General  Reflections,  492. 

Sect.  III.  Modern  state  of  Civilized  Nations,  .  .  494 

Proportion  of  civilized  to  savage  nations,  494.  Dispositions 
of  the  young,  and  modes  by  which  they  are  trained,  495.  Schools, 
and  school-boys,  496.  Diversions  of  the  young,  498.  Boxing, 
and  its  disgraceful  effects,  499.  Deficiencies  in  our  seminaries 
of  instruction,  500.  Malignity  as  displayed  in  the  various  scenes 
of  social  life,  501.  General  disposition  to  detraction,  502. 
Public  amusements — cock-fighting,  bull-baiting,  horse-racing, 
dog-fighting,  field-sports,  &c.  504.  Benevolent  character  of  an 
Abyssinian,  508.  Spanish  bull-fights,  and  character  of  the 
Spaniards,  509-514.  Literary  amusements — books  for  the  nur¬ 
sery,  514.  Waveriey  Novels,  Character  of  Sir  W.  Scott,  515. 
Futility  of  works  of  fiction,  516-520.  Literary  and  scientific 
characters,  publishers,  distressed  authors,  &c.  520.  Penal 
codes  of  civilized  nations,  522.  Prison  discipline,  523.  San¬ 
guinary  character  of  penal  statutes — executions  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  524.  Cruelties  inflicted  on  criminals — execution 
in  Berlin,  525.  Russian  punishments,  527.  Execution  of 
Damiens — British  penal  statute,  528.  Beccaria’s  sarcastic  re¬ 
mark  in  relation  to  the  torture,  530.  Summary  view  of  the 
various  punishments  in  different  countries,  530.  Slave  trade, 
wreckers,  warlike  dispositions,  tyranny,  barbarous  Sardinian 
edict,  531.  State  of  morals  in  Poland,  533.  Moral  state  of 
Cuba,  535.  Depravity  amidst  scenes  of  danger — Shipwreck  of 
Byron,  537.  Conduct  of  the  crew  of  the  Medusa  frigate,  538. 
Loss  of  the  Kent  East  Indiaman,  542.  Shocking  practices  in 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  543. 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


Sect.  IV.  Moral  state  of  the  Christian  world,  .  .  544 

Dispositions  of  the  primitive  Christians,  545.  Causes  which 
produced  the  decay  of  Christian  love,  545.  Divisions,  supersti¬ 
tions,  and  intolerance,  under  the  reign  of  Christian  emperors, 
546.  Intemperate  zeal  of  Theodosius — Murder  of  Hypatia, 
518.  Disputes  and  vain  speculations,  550.  Superstitions  of 
the  middle  ages,  553.  Pillar-saints,  religious  devotees,  and 
flagellants,  555.  Power  of  the  clergy,  555.  Theological  specu¬ 
lations  and  absurdities,  557.  Feast  of  the  ass — qualifications 
of  a  Christian — indulgences,  559.  Morals  of  the  clergy,  560. 
Holy  wars,  562.  Inquisition — burning  of  heretics,  563.  In¬ 
struments  of  torture,  565.  Number  of  victims  destroyed  by  the 
Inquisition,  567.  Bartholomew  massacre,  568.  Dragooning, 
570.  Religious  wars  and  persecutions,  571.  Persecutions  in 
Britain,  572.  Reflections,  573.  Present  moral  state  of  Ca¬ 
tholic  countries — Cuba,  574.  Naples,  575.  Tuscany,  Rome, 
&c.  577.  Remarks  of  Buonaparte  on  this  subject,  577. 

Moral  state  of  the  Protestant  Church. — Denominations  of 
the  Christian  world,  578.  Tempers  displayed  by  religious  con¬ 
troversialists,  580.  Jealousies  of  the  different  sectaries,  583. 
Illiberality  and  incivility  of  certain  bodies  of  religionists,  584. 
Contentions  in  Christian  societies,  586.  Spirit  of  persecution 
and  intolerance  exemplified  by  Churchmen,  Presbyterians,  and 
Independents,  588.  Persecution  in  Barbadoes  and  Demerara, 
590.  in  Switzerland,  592.  in  England,  593.  General  reflec¬ 
tions,  597.  Practicability  of  the  universal  operation  of  bene¬ 
volence,  exemplified  in  the  case  of  the  Apostles,  Howard, 
Venning,  &c.  599.  Quakers,  Moravians,  anecdote,  603. 
Means  of  promoting  Christian  morality,  604. 

General  Conclusions. — Subject  of  preaching,  608.  Church 
censures,  613.  Union  of  Christians,  616.  Future  state  of 
happiness,  619.  Future  state  of  misery,  622. 


THE 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  objects  of  human  knowledge  may  be  reduced 
to  two  classes — the  relations  of  matter ,  and  the  rela¬ 
tions  of  mind;  or,  in  other  words,  the  material  and 
the  intellectual  universe.  Of  these  two  depart¬ 
ments  of  science,  the  intellectual  universe  is,  in 
many  respects,  the  more  interesting  and  important. 
For,  in  so  far  as  our  knowledge  and  researches  ex¬ 
tend,  it  appears  highly  probable,  if  not  absolutely 
certain,  that  the  material  universe  exists  solely  for 
the  sake  of  sentient  and  intelligent  beings — in  order 
to  afford  a  sensible  manifestation  of  the  attributes  of 
the  Great  First  Cause,  and  to  serve  as  a  vehicle 
of  thought,  and  a  medium  of  enjoyment  to  subor¬ 
dinate  intelligences.  So  intimately  related,  how¬ 
ever,  are  these  two  objects  of  human  investigation, 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  one  cannot  be  obtained  but 
through  the  medium  of  the  other.  The  operations 
of  mind  cannot  be  carried  on  without  the  interven¬ 
tion  of  external  objects ;  for,  if  the  material  universe 


18 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


had  never  existed,  we  could  never  have  prosecuted 
a  train  of  thought;*  and  the  beauties  and  subli¬ 
mities  of  external  nature  can  be  perceived  only  by 
thinking  beings,  without  the  existence  of  which,  the 
material  universe  would  remain  like  a  mighty  blank, 
and  micdit  be  said  to  have  been  created  in  vain. 

o 

Hence  it  appears,  that,  previous  to  our  inquiries 
into  the  nature  and  relations  of  mind,  it  is  neces¬ 
sary,  in  the  first  place,  to  study  the  phenomena  of 
the  material  world,  and  the  external  actions  of  all 
those  percipient  beings  with  which  it  is  peopled;  for 
the  knowledge  of  the  facts  we  acquire  in  relation  to 
these  objects  must  form  the  groundwork  of  all  our 
investigations. 

We  are  surrounded  on  every  hand  with  minds  of 
various  descriptions,  which  evince  the  faculties  of 
which  they  are  possessed,  by  the  various  senses  and 
active  powers  with  which  they  are  furnished.  These 


*  The  whole  train  of  ideas  which  passes  through  our  minds  on 
any  subject,  may  he  considered  as  the  images  of  external  objects 
variously  modified  and  combined.  These  images  we  receive 
through  the  medium  of  our  senses,  by  which  we  hold  a  communi¬ 
cation  with  the  material  world.  All  our  ideas  of  God,  and  of  the 
objects  of  religion,  are  derived  from  the  same  source.  The  illus¬ 
trations  of  the  attributes  of  the  Deity,  and  of  liis  moral  adminis¬ 
tration,  contained  in  Scripture,  are  derived  from  the  external 
scenes  of  Creation,  and  from  the  relations  of  human  society;  con¬ 
sequently,  had  the  material  world  never  existed,  we  could  have 
formed  no  conceptions  of  the  divine  perfections  similar  to  those 
which  we  now  entertain,  nor  have  prosecuted  a  train  of  thought 
on  any  other  subject;  for  the  material  universe  is  the  basis  of  all 
the  knowledge  we  have  hitherto  acquired,  or  can  acquire,  respect¬ 
ing  ourselves,  our  Creator,  or  other  intelligences.  Any  person 
who  is  disposed  to  call  in  question  this  position,  must  be  pre¬ 
pared  to  point  out,  distinctly  and  specifically,  those  ideas  or 
trains  of  thought  which  are  not  derived  through  the  medium  of 
the  external  senses,  and  from  the  objects  on  which  they  are  ex- 
ercised. 


INTRODUCTION. 


19 


minds  are  of  various  gradations,  in  point  of  intellec¬ 
tual  capacity  and  acumen,  from  Man  downivards 
through  all  the  animated  tribes  which  traverse  the 
regions  of  earth,  air,  and  sea.  We  have  the 
strongest  reason  to  believe,  that  the  distant  regions 
of  the  material  world  are  also  replenished  with  in¬ 
tellectual  beings  of  various  orders,  in  which  there 
may  be  a  gradation  upwards ,  in  the  scale  of  intel¬ 
lect  above  that  of  man,  as  diversified  as  that  which 
we  perceive  in  the  descending  scale,  from  man  down¬ 
wards  to  the  immaterial  principle  which  animates  a 
muscle,  a  snail,  or  a  microscopic  animalcula.  When 
we  consider  the  variety  of  organical  forms  and  of 
intellectual  capacities  which  abounds  in  our  terres¬ 
trial  system,  and  that  there  is  an  infinite  gap  in  the 
scale  of  being  between  the  human  mind  and  the 
Supreme  Intelligence,  it  appears  quite  conformable 
to  the  magnificent  harmony  of  the  universe,  and  to 
the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  its  Almighty  Au¬ 
thor,  to  suppose,  that  there  are  beings  within  the 
range  of  his  dominions  as  far  superior  to  man  in  the 
sublimity  and  vigour  of  their  mental  and  corporeal 
powers,  as  man  is,  in  these  respects,  superior  to  the 
most  despicable  insect ;  and  that  these  beings,  in 
point  of  number,  may  exceed  all  human  calculation 
and  comprehension.  This  idea  is  corroborated  by 
several  intimations  contained  in  the  records  of  Reve¬ 
lation,  where  we  have  presented  to  our  view  a  class 
of  intelligences,  endowed  with  physical  energies, 
powers  of  rapid  motion,  and  a  grasp  of  intellect, 
incomparably  superior  to  those  which  are  possessed 
by  any  of  the  beings  which  belong  to  our  sublunary 
system. 


20 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


To  contemplate  the  various  orders  of  intelligences 
which  people  the  material  universe,  anti  the  relations 
which  subsist  among  them — the  arrangements  of  the 
different  worlds  to  which  they  respectively  belong — 
the  corporeal  vehicles  by  which  they  hold  a  corre¬ 
spondence  with  the  material  system — the  relation  in 
which  they  stand  to  other  worlds  and  beings,  from 
which  they  are  separated  by  the  voids  of  space — 
and  the  excursions  they  occasionally  make  to  differ¬ 
ent  regions  of  that  vast  empire  of  which  they  form 
a  part; — to  trace  the  superior  intellectual  faculties 
and  the  sensitive  organs  with  which  they  are  en¬ 
dowed — the  profound  investigations  they  have  made 
into  the  economy  of  the  universe — the  trains  of 
thought  which  they  pursue,  and  the  magnificent  ob¬ 
jects  on  which  their  faculties  are  employed — the 
emotion  with  which  they  view  the  scenes  and  trans¬ 
actions  of  such  a  world  as  ours — the  means  by 
which  they  have  been  carried  forward  in  the  career 
of  moral  and  intellectual  improvement — the  history 
of  their  transactions  since  the  period  at  which  they 
were  brought  into  existence — the  peculiar  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  the  Creator,  and  the  revolutions  that  may 
have  taken  place  among  them — the  progressions 
they  have  made  from  one  stage  of  improvement  to 
another — the  views  they  have  acquired  of  the  per¬ 
fections  and  plans  of  their  Almighty  Sovereign — 
the  transporting  emotions  of  delight  which  pervade 
all  their  faculties — and  the  sublime  adorations  they 
offer  up  to  the  Fountain  of  all  their  felicity, — would 
constitute  a  source  of  the  most  exquisite  gratification 
to  every  holy  and  intelligent  mind.  But  since  we 
are  at  present  confined  to  a  small  corner  of  the  uni- 


INTRODUCTION. 


21 


verse  of  God,  and  surrounded  by  immeasurable  voids 
of  space,  which  intervene  between  our  habitation  and 
the  celestial  worlds,  through  which  no  human  power 
can  enable  us  to  penetrate,  we  must  remain  ignorant 
of  the  nature  and  economy  of  those  intellectual  beings, 
till  our  souls  take  their  flight  from  these  <£  taber¬ 
nacles  of  clay,”  to  join  their  kindred  spirits  in  the 
invisible  world.  While  we  remain  in  our  sublunary 
mansion,  our  investigations  into  the  world  of  mind, 
must,  of  necessity,  be  confined  to  the  nature  and 
attributes  of  the  Uncreated  Spirit,  and  to  the  facul¬ 
ties  of  our  own  minds,  and  those  of  the  sensitive 
beings  with  which  we  are  surrounded.  These  facul¬ 
ties,  as  they  constitute  the  instruments  by  which  all 
our  knowledge  is  acquired,  have  employed  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  philosophers  in  every  age,  and  have  been  the 
theme  of  many  subtile  and  ingenious  speculations ; 
and  they,  doubtless,  form  an  interesting  subject  of 
investigation  to  the  student  of  intellectual  science. 

But  of  all  the  views  we  can  take  of  the  world  of 
mind,  the  moral  relations  of  intelligent  beings,  and 
the  laws  founded  on  these  relations,  are  topics  by  far 
the  most  interesting  and  important.  This  subject 
may  be  treated  in  a  more  definite  and  tangible  man¬ 
ner,  than  the  theories  which  have  been  formed  re¬ 
specting  the  nature  and  operations  of  the  intellectual 
powers.  Illustrations,  level  to  every  capacity,  and 
which  come  home  to  every  one’s  bosom,  may  be  de¬ 
rived  both  from  reason  and  experience,  from  the  an¬ 
nals  of  history,  and  the  records  of  revelation.  It  is 
not  involved  in  the  same  difficulties  and  obscurity 
which  have  perplexed  the  philosophy  of  the  intellect ; 
and  there  are  certain  principles  which  may  be  traced 


22 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


in  relation  to  this  subject,  which  apply  to  all  the  ra¬ 
tional  intelligences  that  God  has  formed,  however 
diversified  in  respect  of  the  regions  of  the  universe 
which  they  occupy,  and  in  the  extent  of  their  intel¬ 
lectual  powers.  Above  all,  this  subject  is  more  in¬ 
timately  connected  with  the  present  and  future  hap¬ 
piness  of  man  than  any  other  which  comes  within  the 
range  of  human  investigation ;  and  therefore  forms 
a  prominent  and  legitimate  branch  of  what  may  be 
termed,  ((  The  Philosophy  of  Religion.” 

That  the  moral  relations  of  intelligent  minds,  and 
the  temper  and  conduct  corresponding  with  these  re¬ 
lations,  are  essentially  connected  with  the  happiness 
of  every  rational  agent,  might  be  made  to  appear 
from  a  variety  of  cases,  in  which  the  reversing  of 
certain  moral  laws  or  principles  would  inevitably  lead 
to  disorder  and  misery.  I  shall  content  myself  with 
stating  the  following  illustration  : — 

We  dwell  in  an  obscure  corner  of  God’s  empire; 
but  the  light  of  modern  science  has  shown  us,  that 
worlds,  a  thousand  times  larger  than  ours,  and 
adorned  with  more  refulgent  splendours,  exist  within 
the  range  of  that  system  of  which  we  form  a  part. 
It  has  also  unfolded  to  our  view  other  systems  dis¬ 
persed  throughout  the  voids  of  space,  at  immeasur¬ 
able  distances,  and  in  such  vast  profusion,  that  our 
minds  are  unable  to  grasp  their  number  and  magni¬ 
tude.  Reason  and  revelation  lead  us  to  conclude, 
that  all  these  worlds  and  systems  are  adorned  with 
displays  of  divine  wisdom,  and  peopled  with  myriads 
of  rational  inhabitants.  The  human  mind,  after  it 
has  received  notices  of  such  stupendous  scenes,  natu¬ 
rally  longs  for  a  nearer  and  more  intimate  inspection 


INTRODUCTION. 


23 


of  the  grandeur  and  economy  of  those  distant  pro¬ 
vinces  of  the  Creator’s  empire ;  and  is  apt  to  ima¬ 
gine,  that  it  would  never  weary,  but  would  feel  un¬ 
mingled  enjoyment,  while  it  winged  its  flight  from 
one  magnificent  scene  of  creation  to  another.  But 
although  an  inhabitant  of  our  world  were  divested  of 
the  quality  of  gravitation,  endowed  with  powers  of 
rapid  motion  adequate  to  carry  him  along  “  to  the 
suburbs  of  creation,”  and  permitted  by  his  Creator 
to  survey  all  the  wonders  of  the  universe, — if  a  prin¬ 
ciple  of  love  and  kindly  affection  towards  fellow- 
intelligences  did  not  animate  his  mind ;  if  rage  and 
revenge,  pride  and  ambition,  hatred  and  envy,  were 
incessantly  rankling  in  his  breast,  he  could  feel  no 
transporting  emotions,  nor  taste  the  sweets  of  true 
enjoyment.  The  vast  universe  through  which  he 
roamed  would  be  transformed  into  a  spacious  hell ; 
its  beauties  and  sublimities  could  not  prevent  misery 
from  taking  possession  of  his  soul;  and,  at  every 
stage  of  his  excursion,  he  could  not  fail  to  meet  with 
the  indications  of  his  Creator’s  frown.  For  there 
appears,  from  reason  and  experience,  as  well  as  from 
the  dictates  of  revelation,  an  absolute  impossibility 
of  enjoying  happiness  so  long  as  malevolent  affec¬ 
tions  retain  their  ascendancy  in  the  heart  of  a  moral 
intelligence,  in  whatever  region  of  universal  nature 
his  residence  may  be  found. 

Hence  we  may  learn,  that  the  highest  attainments 
in  science  to  which  any  one  can  arrive,  though  they 
may  expand  the  range  of  his  intellectual  views,  will 
not  ensure  to  their  possessor  substantial  and  un¬ 
mingled  enjoyment,  while  his  heart  is  devoid  of  be¬ 
nevolent  affections,  and  while  he  is  subjected  to  the 


24 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


influence  of  degrading  and  immoral  passions.  If  it 
be  possible  that  any  one  now  exists  in  the  literary 
world,  who  has  devoted  his  life  to  the  sublimest  in¬ 
vestigations  of  science,  and  has  taken  the  most  exten¬ 
sive  views  of  the  arrangements  of  the  material  world, 
and  yet,  who  remains  doubtful  as  to  the  existence  of 
a  Supreme  Intelligence,  and  of  an  eternal  state  of 
destination ;  who  is  elated  with  pride  at  the  splen¬ 
dour  of  his  scientific  acquirements;  who  treats  his 
equals  with  a  spirit  of  arrogance ;  who  looks  down 
with  a  sullen  scowl  on  the  inferior  ranks  of  his  fel¬ 
low-men  ;  who  is  haughty,  overbearing,  and  revenge¬ 
ful  in  his  general  deportment ;  and  who  is  altogether 
indifferent  as  to  the  moral  principles  he  displays, — I 
would  envy  neither  his  happiness  nor  his  intellectual 
attainments.  He  can  enjoy  none  of  those  delightful 
emotions  which  flow  from  the  exercise  of  Christian 
benevolence,  nor  any  of  those  consolations  which  the 
good  man  feels  amidst  the  various  ills  of  life ;  and, 
beyond  the  short  span  of  mortal  existence,  he  can 
look  forward  to  no  brighter  displays  of  the  grandeur 
of  the  material  and  intellectual  universe,  but  to  an 
eternal  deprivation  of  his  powers  of  intelligence  in 
the  shades  of  annihilation. 

It  must,  therefore,  be  a  matter  deeply  interesting 
to  every  intelligent  agent,  to  acquire  correct  notions 
of  the  fundamental  principles  of  moral  action,  and  to 
form  those  habits  which  will  fit  him  for  the  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  true  felicity,  to  whatever  region  of  the  uni¬ 
verse  he  may  afterwards  be  transported. — In  the 
illustration  of  this  subject,  I  shall  pursue  a  train  of 
thought,  which,  I  am  not  aware,  has  been  prosecuted 
by  any  previous  writers  on  the  subject  of  morality, 


INTRODUCTION. 


25 


and  shall  endeavour  to  confirm  and  illustrate  the 
views  which  may  be  exhibited,  by  an  appeal  to  the 
discoveries  of  revelation. 

We  have  an  abundance  of  ponderous  volumes  on 
the  subject  of  moral  philosophy;  but  the  different 
theories  which  have  been  proposed  and  discussed, 
and  the  metaphysical  mode  in  which  the  subject  has 
generally  been  treated,  have  seldom  led  to  any  bene¬ 
ficial  practical  results.  To  attempt  to  treat  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  morals  without  a  reference  to  divine  revelation, 
as  most  of  our  celebrated  moral  writers  have  done, 
seems  to  be  little  short  of  egregious  trifling.  It 
cannot  serve  the  purpose  of  an  experiment ,  to  ascer¬ 
tain  how  far  the  unassisted  faculties  of  man  can  go 
in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  foundation  and  the 
rules  of  moral  action ;  for  the  prominent  principles  of 
Christian  morality  are  so  interwoven  into  the  opinions, 
intercourses,  and  practices  of  modern  civilized  society, 
and  so  familiar  to  the  mind  of  every  man  who  has 
been  educated  in  a  Christian  land,  that  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  eradicate  the  idea  of  them  from  the  mind, 
when  it  attempts  to  trace  the  duty  of  man  solely  on 
the  principles  of  reason.  When  the  true  principles 
of  morality  are  once  communicated  through  the  me¬ 
dium  of  revelation,  reason  can  demonstrate  their  uti¬ 
lity,  and  their  conformity  to  the  character  of  God,  to 
the  order  of  the  universe,  and  to  the  relations  which 
subsist  among  intelligent  agents.  But  we  are  by  no 
means  in  a  situation  to  determine  whether  they  could 
ever  have  been  discovered  by  the  investigations  and 
efforts  of  the  unassisted  powers  of  the  human  mind. 
The  only  persons  who  could  fairly  try  such  an  ex¬ 
periment  were  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  other 

d.  2.  B 


26 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


civilized  nations  in  ancient  times,  to  whom  the  light 
of  revelation  was  not  imparted.  And  what  was  the 
result  of  all  their  researches  on  this  most  important 
of  all  subjects?  What  were  the  practical  effects 
of  all  the  fine-spun  theories  and  subtile  speculations 
which  originated  in  the  schools  of  ancient  philosophy* 
under  the  tuition  of  Plato  and  Socrates,  of  Aristotle 
and  Zeno?  The  result  is  recorded  in  the  annals  of 
history,  and  in  the  writings  of  the  apostles :  £t  They 
became  vain  in  their  imaginations,  and  their  foolish 
hearts  were  darkened.  They  were  filled  with  all 
unrighteousness,  fornication,  wickedness,  covetous¬ 
ness,  maliciousness,  envy,  murder,  deceit,  malignity ; 
they  were  backbiters,  haters  of  God,  despiteful, 
proud,  inventors  of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  pa¬ 
rents,  without  natural  affection,  implacable  and  un¬ 
merciful.”  Their  general  conduct  was  characterized 
by  pride,  lasciviousness,  and  revenge ;  they  indulged 
in  the  commission  of  unnatural  crimes ;  they  were 
actuated  by  restless  ambition,  and  they  gloried  in 
covering  the  earth  with  devastation  and  carnage. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  some  of  the  sects  of  philo¬ 
sophers  propounded  several  maxims  and  moral  pre¬ 
cepts,  the  propriety  of  which  cannot  be  questioned ; 
but  none  of  them  could  agree  respecting  either  the 
foundation  of  virtue,  or  the  ultimate  object  toward 
which  it  should  be  directed,  or  that  in  which  the 
chief  happiness  of  man  consists;  and  hence  it  hap¬ 
pened,  that  the  precepts  delivered  by  the  teachers  of 
philosophy  had  little  influence  on  their  own  conduct, 
and  far  less  on  that  of  the  unthinking  multitude. 
Where  do  we  find,  in  any  of  the  philosophical  schools 
of  Greece  and  Rome,  a  recommendation  of  such 


INTRODUCTION. 


27 


precepts  as  these :  “  Love  your  enemies — do  good  to 
them  who  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  who  despite- 
fully  use  you,  and  persecute  you?”  In  opposition  to 
such  divine  injunctions,  we  can  trace,  in  the  maxims 
and  conduct  of  the  ancient  sages,  a  principle  of  pride 
insinuating  itself  into  the  train  of  their  most  virtuous 
actions.  It  has  been  reckoned  by  some  a  wise  and  a 
witty  answer  which  one  of  the  philosophers  returned 
to  his  friend,  who  had  advised  him  to  revenge  an 
injury  he  had  suffered:  “  What !”  says  he,  “  if  an 
ass  kicks  me,  must  I  needs  kick  him  again  ?”  Some 
may  be  disposed  to  consider  such  a  reply  as  indicat¬ 
ing  a  manly  spirit,  and  true  greatness  of  soul ;  but 
it  carries  in  it  a  proud  and  supercilious  contempt  of 
human  nature,  and  a  haughtiness  of  mind,  which  are 
altogether  inconsistent  with  the  mild  and  benevolent 
precepts  of  Him  who,  in  the  midst  of  his  severest 
sufferings  from  men,  exclaimed,  “  Father,  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.” 

It  appears  somewhat  preposterous  to  waste  our 
time,  and  the  energies  of  our  minds,  in  laboured 
metaphysical  disquisitions  to  ascertain  the  foundations 
of  virtue,  and  the  motives  from  which  it  is  to  be 
pursued;  whether  it  consists  in  utility ,  in  the  fitness 
of  things ,  or  in  the  regulations  of  states  and  political 
associations,  and  whether  it  is  to  be  prosecuted  from  a 
principle  of  self-love  or  of  benevolence, — when  every 
useful  question  that  can  be  started  on  this  subject 
may  be  immediately  solved  by  a  direct  application 
to  the  revelations  of  Heaven,  and  an  infallible  rule 
derived  for  the  direction  of  our  conduct  in  all  the 
circumstances  and  relations  in  which  we  may  be 
placed. 

u  2 


28 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Even  although  the  moral  philosopher  were  to  reject 
the  Bible  as  a  revelation  from  God,  it  would  form 
no  reason  why  its  annunciations  should  be  altogether 
overlooked  or  rejected.  As  an  impartial  investigator 
of  the  history  of  man,  of  the  moral  constitution  of  the 
human  mind,  and  of  the  circumstances  of  our  present 
condition,  he  is  bound  to  take  into  view  every  fact 
and  every  circumstance  which  may  have  a  bearing  on 
the  important  question  which  he  undertakes  to  de¬ 
cide.  Now,  it  is  a  fact  that  such  a  book  as  the  Bible 
actually  exists — that,  amidst  the  wreck  of  thousands 
of  volumes  which  the  stream  of  time  has  carried  into 
oblivion,  it  has  survived  for  several  thousands  of  years 
— that  its  announcements  have  directed  the  opinions 
and  the  conduct  of  myriads  of  mankind — that  many 
of  the  most  illustrious  characters  that  have  adorned 
our  race  have  submitted  to  its  dictates,  and  governed 
their  tempers  and  actions  by  its  moral  precepts — 
that  those  who  have  been  governed  by  its  maxims, 
have  been  distinguished  by  uprightness  of  conduct, 
and  been  most  earnest  and  successful  in  promoting 
the  happiness  of  mankind — that  this  book  declares, 
that  a  moral  revulsion  has  taken  place  in  the  consti¬ 
tution  of  man  since  he  was  placed  upon  this  globe — 
and  that  the  whole  train  of  its  moral  precepts  pro¬ 
ceeds  on  the  ground  of  his  being  considered  as  a  de¬ 
praved  intelligence.  These  are  facts  which  even  the 
infidel  philosopher  must  admit :  and,  instead  of  throw¬ 
ing  them  into  the  shade,  or  keeping  them  entirely 
out  of  view,  he  is  bound,  as  an  unbiassed  inquirer, 
to  take  them  all  into  account  in  his  researches  into 
the  moral  economy  of  the  human  race. 

In  particular,  he  is  bound  to  inquire  into  the  pro- 


INTRODUCTION. 


29 


bability  of  the  alleged  fact  of  the  depravity  of  man, 
and  to  consider  whether  the  general  train  of  human 
actions,  the  leading  facts  of  history  in  reference  to  all 
ages  and  nations,  and  the  destructive  effects  of  several 
operations  in  the  system  of  nature,  have  not  a  ten¬ 
dency  to  corroborate  this  important  point.  For  the 
fact,  that  man  is  a  fallen  intelligence,  must  materially 
modify  every  system  of  ethics  that  takes  it  into  ac¬ 
count.  Should  this  fact  be  entirely  overlooked,  and 
yet  ultimately  be  found  to  rest  on  a  solid  foundation, 
then  all  the  speculations  and  theories  of  those  moral¬ 
ists  who  profess  to  be  guided  solely  by  the  dictates 
of  unassisted  reason,  may  prove  to  be  nothing  more 
than  the  reveries  of  a  vain  imagination,  and  to  be 
built  on  “  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision.” 


0 


ARY  DEFINITIONS  AND 
EMARKS. 


REC,  FEB  1881 


or  most  general  idea  of  Morality. 


I  conceive  that  the  first,  or  most  general  idea  of 
Morality,  is  Order — or,  that  harmonious  disposi¬ 
tion  and  arrangement  of  intelligent  beings,  which  is 
founded  on  the  nature  of  things,  and  which  tends  to 
produce  the  greatest  sum  of  happiness. 

Physical  order,  or  the  order  of  the  material  universe, 
is  that  by  which  every  part  is  made  to  harmonize  or 
correspond  to  some  other  part,  and  all  individually  to 
the  whole  collectively.  Thus,  the  adaptation  of  light 
to  the  eye,  and  of  the  eye  to  light;  the  adaptation 
of  the  structure  of  the  ear  and  of  the  lungs,  to  the 
constitution  of  the  atmosphere,  and  its  various  undu¬ 
lations  ;  the  adaptation  of  the  waters,  the  vegetable 
productions  of  the  field,  the  minerals  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  the  colours  produced  by  the  solar  rays, 
and  all  the  other  parts  and  agencies  of  external  na¬ 
ture,  to  the  wants  and  the  happiness  of  sentient  be¬ 
ings  ;  the  adaptation  of  day  and  night  to  the  labour 
and  rest  appointed  for  man ;  and  the  regularity  of 
the  motions  of  the  planetary  bodies  in  their  circuits 
around  the  sun — constitute  the  physical  order  or 


GENERAL  IDEA  OF  MORALITY. 


31 


harmony  of  the  visible  world;  and  it  is  this  which 
constitutes  its  principal  beauty,  and  which  evinces 
the  wisdom  of  its  almighty  Author. 

Moral  Order  is  the  harmony  of  intelligent  beings 
in  respect  to  one  another  and  to  their  Creator,  and 
is  founded  upon  those  relations  in  which  they  re¬ 
spectively  stand  to  each  other.  Thus,  Reverence, 
Adoration,  and  Gratitude,  from  creatures,  correspond 
or  harmonize  with  the  idea  of  a  self-existent,  omni¬ 
potent,  and  benevolent  Being,  on  whom  they  depend, 
and  from  whom  they  derive  every  enjoyment, — and 
Jove,  and  good-will,  and  a  desire  to  promote  each 
other’s  happiness,  harmonize  with  the  idea  of  intel¬ 
ligences  of  the  same  species  mingling  together  in 
social  intercourses.  For  it  will  at  once  be  admitted, 
that  affections  directly  opposite  to  these,  and  univer¬ 
sally  prevalent,  would  tend  to  destroy  the  moral  har¬ 
mony  of  the  intelligent  universe,  and  to  introduce 
anarchy  and  confusion,  and  consequently  misery , 
among  all  the  rational  inhabitants  of  the  material 
world. 

The  following  brief  illustration,  by  way  of  contrast, 
may  perhaps  have  a  tendency  more  particularly  to 
impress  the  mind  with  the  idea  of  order  intended  to 
be  conveyed  in  the  above-stated  definitions. 

Suppose  the  principle  which  unites  the  planetary 
globes  in  one  harmonious  system  to  be  dissolved, 
and  the  planets  to  run  lawlessly  through  the  sky — 
suppose  the  planet  Jupiter  to  forsake  his  orbit,  and, 
in  his  course  to  the  distant  regions  of  space,  to  im¬ 
pinge  against  the  planet  Saturn,  and  to  convulse  the 
solid  crust  of  that  globe  from  its  surface  to  its  centre, 
to  disarrange  the  order  of  its  satellites,  to  shatter  its 


32 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


rings  into  pieces,  and  to  carry  the  fragments  of  them 
along  with  him  in  his  lawless  career, — suppose  the 
sun  to  attract  his  nearest  planets  to  his  surface  with 
a  force  that  would  shake  them  to  their  centres,  and 
dissolve  their  present  constitution, — suppose  the 
moon  to  fly  from  her  orbit,  and  rush  towards  the 
planet  Venus, — the  earth  to  be  divested  of  its  atmo¬ 
sphere,  its  mountains  to  be  overturned,  and  to  be 
hurled  into  the  plains,  or  into  the  ocean;  its  seas  and 
rivers  to  forsake  their  ancient  channels,  and  to  over¬ 
flow  the  land,  and  its  human  inhabitants  swept  pro¬ 
miscuously  along  with  the  inferior  animals,  into  dens, 
and  caves,  and  crevices  of  the  earth,  and  into  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean  : — in  such  a  scene,  we  should 
have  presented  to  our  view  a  specimen  of  physical 
confusion  and  disorder;  and  it  would  form  an  impres¬ 
sive  emblem  of  the  state  of  rational  beings,  whose 
moral  order  is  completely  subverted. 

Again,  suppose  the  rational  inhabitants  of  our 
globe  to  be  universally  set  against  one  another,  for 
the  purpose  of  producing  misery  and  destruction, — 
suppose  the  child  rising  in  opposition  to  his  parents, 
the  wife  plotting  the  destruction  of  her  husband,  the 
brother  insnaring  his  sister,  and  decoying  her  to 
ruin, — teachers  of  all  descriptions  inculcating  the 
arts  of  deception  and  of  revenge,  and  representing 
every  principle  or  fact  as  contrary  to  what  it  really  is 
— falsehoods  of  every  description  industriously  forged 
and  circulated  as  facts  through  every  rank  of  society 
— rulers  setting  themselves  in  opposition  to  the  po¬ 
pulace,  and  plotting  their  destruction,  while  they 
are,  at  the  same  time,  actuated  by  a  principle  of  envy 
and  malice  against  each  other — the  populace  rising 


GENERAL  IDEA  OF  MORALITY. 


33 


against  their  rulers,  exterminating  them  from  the 
earth,  subverting  every  principle  of  law  and  order, 
gratifying,  without  control,  every  principle  of  re¬ 
venge,  avarice,  lasciviousness,  and  sensual  indul¬ 
gence,  and  enjoying  a  diabolical  satisfaction  in  con¬ 
templating  the  scenes  of  misery  they  have  created : — 
in  short,  every  one  beholding  in  his  neighbour  the 
malevolence  of  a  fiend  armed  with  instruments  of  de¬ 
struction,  and  devising  schemes  to  secure  his  misery 
and  ruin.  Suppose  the  lower  animals  to  rise  up  in 
indignation  against  man,  and  to  swell  the  horrors  of 
this  general  anarchy — suppose  the  superior  orders  of 
intelligences  to  mingle  in  this  scene  of  confusion,  to 
exert  their  high  physical  and  intellectual  powers  in 
adding  fuel  to  these  malevolent  principles  and  opera¬ 
tions,  and  in  attempting  to  drag  other  intelligences  of 
a  still  higher  order  from  their  seats  of  bliss — sup¬ 
pose  all  these  intelligences  actuated  by  an  implacable 
hatred  of  their  Creator,  combined  to  deface  the 
beauties  of  the  material  creation,  and  then  to  en¬ 
gage  in  a  war  of  universal  extermination  throughout 
every  region  of  the  universe :  such  a  state  of  things, 
if  it  could  exist  in  the  universe,  would  form  a  perfect 
contrast  to  moral  order  ;  it  would  present  a  scene  in 
which  existence  could  not  be  desirable  to  any  intelli¬ 
gent  mind,  and  in  which  happiness  could  not  possibly 
be  enjoyed  by  any  rational  being,  unless  by  Him  who 
is  eternally  happy  independently  of  his  creatures. 

Moral  order,  then,  is  completely  opposed  to  such 
a  state  of  things  as  has  been  now  represented ;  it 
consists  in  every  being  holding  its  proper  station  in 
the  universe,  acting  according  to  the  nature  of  that 
station,  and  using  its  powers  and  faculties  for  the 

b  3 


34 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


purposes  for  which  they  were  originally  intended ; 
and  the  grand  object  intended  to  be  accomplished  by 
this  order,  is  the  happiness  of  the  whole, — without 
which,  misery  would  reign  uncontrolled  throughout 
all  the  ranks  of  intelligent  existence. 

This  state  of  the  moral  world  is  most  frequently 
designated  in  Scripture  by  the  term  holiness.  Of 
the  ideas  included  under  this  term,  and  several  of 
its  kindred  epithets,  very  vague  and  imperfect  con¬ 
ceptions  are  frequently  entertained.  Its  leading  or 
generic  idea,  from  what  has  been  now  stated,  will 
evidently  appear  to  be,  a  conformity  to  order ,  founded 
on  the  relations  of  intelligent  beings  to  one  another; 
or,  in  other  words,  it  consists  in  a  complete  confor¬ 
mity  to  the  law  of  God,  (which  is  founded  on  those 
relations,)  including  both  the  action  and  the  principle 
from  which  it  flows.  In  reference  to  created  beings, 
holiness  may  therefore  be  defined  to  be,  ‘a  conformity 
to  the  moral  order  of  the  universe,’ — and,  in  relation 
to  the  Creator,  it  is,  c  that  perfection  of  his  nature 
which  leads  him  to  promote  the  moral  order  and  hap¬ 
piness  of  intelligent  beings,  and  to  counteract  every 
thing  which  stands  in  opposition  to  this  object.’ 

That  the  leading  ideas  and  definitions  now  stated 
are  correct,  will  perhaps  more  distinctly  appear  in  the 
course  of  the  following  discussions  and  illustrations ; 
but  should  any  one  be  disposed  to  call  in  question 
the  statements  now  given  in  reference  to  the  primary 
idea  of  morality,  his  difference  of  opinion  on  this 
point  will  not  materially  affect  the  leading  train  of 
sentiment  prosecuted  in  the  further  elucidation  of 
this  subject. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  MORALITY. 


35 


SECTION  II. 

On  the  Fundamental  Principles  of  Morality . 

The  leading  idea  of  morality  or  holiness,  as  now 
stated,  resolves  itself  into  the  two  following  principles: 
Love  to  God  the  Creator,  and  Love  to  fellow-intel¬ 
ligences.  These  are  the  two  grand  springs  on  which 
the  whole  moral  machine  of  the  universe  depends. 
All  the  diversified  actions  by  which  happiness  is  dif¬ 
fused  among  intelligent  agents,  are  only  so  many 
ramifications  of  these  two  simple  and  sublime  prin¬ 
ciples,  which  connect  all  holy  beings  throughout  the 
wide  empire  of  God  in  one  harmonious  union.  This 
we  are  not  left  to  infer  merely  from  the  nature  of 
things,  but  have  the  authority  of  the  supreme  Legis¬ 
lator,  as  our  warrant  for  placing  these  principles  as 
the  foundation  of  all  moral  virtue  among  every  class 
of  moral  agents.  For  thus  saith  our  Saviour: 
“  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 

ALL  THY  HEART,  AND  WITH  ALL  THY  MIND,  AND 
with  all  THY  strength.  This  is  the  first  and 
great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto 
it :  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy¬ 
self.  On  these  two  commandments  hang  all  the 
law  and  the  prophets.” 

These  principles,  now  that  they  are  communicated 
and  sanctioned  by  divine  authority,  appear  quite  ac¬ 
cordant  to  the  dictates  of  enlightened  reason,  and 
calculated  to  promote  the  happiness  of  the  intelligent 
creation :  yet  we  never  find  that  the  moral  systems  of 
pagan  philosophers,  in  any  country,  were  built  on  this 


36 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


foundation,  or  that  they  assumed  them  as  indispen¬ 
sable  axioms  to  guide  them  in  their  speculations  on 
the  subject  of  ethics. 

In  elucidating  this  topic,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
show  the  reasonableness  and  the  utility  of  these  prin¬ 
ciples  of  moral  action,  from  a  consideration  of  the 
nature  of  God,  and  the  relations  in  which  intelligent 
beings  stand  to  him  as  the  source  of  their  felicity — 
from  the  nature  of  subordinate  intelligences,  and  the 
relations  in  which  they  stand  to  one  another — from 
the  misery  which  must  inevitably  follow  where  such 
principles  are  violated  or  reversed — from  the  happi¬ 
ness  that  would  necessarily  flow  from  their  full  opera¬ 
tion — and,  lastly,  that  they  apply  to  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  all  created  intelligences  wherever  existing, 
throughout  the  boundless  universe. 

I  have  used  the  plural  term  principles,  to  express 
the  foundation  of  moral  action,  because  our  Saviour 
has  arranged  them  under  two  distinct  heads  in  the 
passage  just  now  quoted  ;  but,  strictly  speaking,  there 
is  but  one  principle,  namely,  Love ,  which  divides  it¬ 
self,  as  it  were,  into  two  great  streams,  one  directing 
its  course  towards  the  supreme  Source  of  all  felicity, 
and  the  other  towards  all  the  subordinate  intelligences 
He  has  created. 


37 


CHAPTER  I. 

ON  THE  MORAL  RELATIONS  OF  INTELLIGENT 
BEINGS  TO  THEIR  CREATOR. 


First  Principle  of  Moral  Action — Love  to  God. 

Love,  considered  in  reference  to  the  Supreme 
Being,  may  be  viewed  as  dividing  itself  into  a  variety 
of  streams  or  kindred  emotions,  all  flowing  from  one 
source.  The  most  prominent  of  these  emotions  are 
the  following :  Admiration ,  which  consists  in  a  de¬ 
lightful  emotion,  arising  from  a  contemplation  of  the 
wonderful  works  of  God,  and  of  the  wisdom  and 
goodness  which  they  unfold — Reverence ,  which  is 
nearly  allied  to  admiration,  is  a  solemn  emotion, 
mingled  with  awe  and  delight,  excited  in  the  mind 
when  it  contemplates  the  perfections  and  the  opera¬ 
tions  of  the  Eternal  Mind — Gratitude ,  which  con¬ 
sists  in  affection  to  the  Supreme  Being,  on  account 
of  the  various  benefits  he  has  conferred  upon  us — 
Humility ,  which  consists  in  a  just  sense  of  our  own 
character  and  condition,  especially  when  we  compare 
ourselves  with  the  purity  and  perfection  of  the  Divine 
character.  To  these  emotions  may  be  added,  Com¬ 
placency  and  delight  in  the  character  and  operations 
of  God — Adoration  of  his  excellencies,  and  an  un¬ 
limited  Dependence  upon  him  in  reference  to  our 
present  concerns  and  our  future  destination.  I  have 


38 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


stated  these  different  modifications  of  the  first  prin¬ 
ciple  of  morality,  because,  in  the  following  illustra¬ 
tions,  they  may  all  occasionally  be  taken  into  account, 
when  an  allusion  is  made  to  the  affections,  which  the 
character  and  operations  of  the  Divine  Being  have  a 
tendency  to  excite. 

Love  is  that  noble  affection  which  is  excited  by 
amiable  objects;  and  therefore,  in  order  to  its  being 
rational,  permanent,  and  delightful,  it  must  be  founded 
on  the  perception  of  certain  amiable  qualities  or  at¬ 
tributes  connected  with  its  object.  In  order  to  de¬ 
monstrate  the  reasonableness  of  this  affection  in  re¬ 
ference  to  God,  it  is  only  requisite  to  consider  his 
character  and  perfections,  and  the  relation  in  which 
he  stands  to  us  as  the  Author  of  our  existence  and 
enjoyments.  But,  as  a  comprehensive  view  of  this 
subject  would  require  volumes  for  its  illustration,  I 
shall  confine  myself  to  the  illustration  of  only  two  or 
three  lineaments  of  the  Divine  character. 


SECTION  I. 

On  the  Omnipotence  of  God. 

We  naturally  venerate  and  admire  a  character  in 
which  physical  energy  is  combined  with  high  intellec¬ 
tual  powers,  when  these  powers  are  uniformly  exerted 
in  the  counteraction  of  vice  and  misery,  and  in  the 
promotion  of  happiness.  On  this  ground,  the  Omni¬ 
potence  of  God  is  calculated  to  affect  the  mind  with 
that  particular  modification  of  love  which  is  designated 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


39 


by  the  term  Reverence.  Were  it  possible  that  any 
human  being  could  construct  a  machine,  by  means  of 
which,  in  combination  with  his  own  physical  powers, 
he  could  transport  himself  from  one  region  of  the 
globe  to  another,  at  the  rate  of  200  miles  in  an  hour; 
and  were  he,  at  the  same  time,  to  devote  his  trea¬ 
sures,  and  his  moral  and  intellectual  energies,  to  the 
improvement  and  melioration  of  the  various  tribes  of 
mankind  in  every  clime  through  which  he  passed, 
such  an  object  could  not  fail  of  exciting  in  our  minds 
a  sentiment  of  admiration  and  reverence.  Were  one 
of  the  highest  orders  of  created  intelligences  to  de¬ 
scend  from  his  celestial  mansion,  and  to  display  him¬ 
self  to  our  view  in  all  the  bright  radiance  of  his  na¬ 
tive  heaven — were  he  to  take  his  station  over  the 
regions  of  Tibet  or  Hindostan,  and,  after  having  ex¬ 
cited  the  attention  of  a  wondering  populace,  were  he 
to  detach  the  huge  masses  of  the  Himalaya  moun¬ 
tains  from  their  foundations,  and  toss  them  into  the 
depths  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  hours,  transform  the  barren  wastes  of  that  dreary 
region  into  a  scene  of  beauty  and  luxuriant  vegeta¬ 
tion,  and  cause  splendid  cities  to  arise,  where  for¬ 
merly  nothing  was  presented  to  the  view  but  a  bleak 
and  frightful  wilderness — at  such  a  display  of  physi¬ 
cal  power,  combined  with  benevolent  design,  we  could 
not  withhold  a  feeling  of  awe,  and  a  sentiment  of 
reverence,  almost  approaching  to  religious  adoration. 

If,  then,  the  contemplation  of  physical  and  mental 
energies,  with  which  even  created  beings  may  pos¬ 
sibly  be  invested,  would  excite  our  admiration  and 
reverence,  what  powerful  emotions  of  this  description 


40 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


must  the  energies  of  the  Uncreated  Mind  be  calcu¬ 
lated  to  produce,  when  they  are  contemplated  by  the 
eye  of  enlightened  reason,  and  in  the  light  of  Divine 
Revelation  !  When  this  huge  globe  on  which  we 
dwell  existed  in  the  state  of  a  shapeless  and  un¬ 
formed  mass;  when  land,  and  water,  and  air,  were 
blended  in  wild  confusion,  and  Chaos  and  Darkness 
extended  their  dominion  over  all  its  gloomy  regions, 
at  His  command  “  light  sprung  out  of  darkness,  and 
order  out  of  confusion the  mountains  reared  their 
projecting  summits,  the  valleys  were  depressed,  the 
caverns  of  the  ocean  were  hollowed  out,  and  the  wa¬ 
ters  retired  to  the  places  which  He  had  appointed 
for  them.  The  fields  were  clothed  with  luxuriant 
verdure;  Eden  appeared  in  all  its  beauty;  the  infe¬ 
rior  tribes  of  animated  existence  took  possession  of 
the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth,  and  man  was  formed 
in  the  image  of  his  Maker,  to  complete  this  won¬ 
drous  scene.  At  this  period,  too,  the  earth  received 
such  a  powerful  impulse  from  the  hand  of  its  Crea¬ 
tor,  as  has  carried  it  along  through  the  voids  of  space, 
with  all  its  furniture  and  inhabitants,  in  the  most 
rapid  career,  for  six  thousand  years :  having  already 
moved  through  a  space  of  3,480,000,000,000  miles, 
and  will  still  continue  its  unremitting  course  for 
thousands  of  years  to  come,  till  the  “  mystery  of 
Providence  be  finished.” 

Would  we  be  struck  with  astonishment  at  be¬ 
holding  a  superior  created  intelligence  tossing  a 
mountain  into  the  sea?  What  strong  emotions  of 
reverence  and  awe,  then,  ought  to  pervade  our  minds, 
when  w'e  behold  the  Almighty  every  moment  pro- 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


41 


ducing  effects  infinitely  more  powerful  and  astonish¬ 
ing  !  What  would  be  our  astonishment,  were  we 
to  behold,  from  a  distance,  a  globe  as  large  as  the 
earth  tossed  from  the  hand  of  Omnipotence,  and 
flying  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  miles  every  minute  ! 
Yet  this  is  nothing  more  than  what  is  every  day 
produced  by  the  unceasing  energies  of  that  Power 
which  first  called  us  into  existence.  That  impulse 
which  was  first  given  to  the  earth  at  its  creation  is 
still  continued,  by  which  it  is  carried  round  every 
day  from  west  to  east,  along  with  its  vast  population, 
and  at  the  same  time  impelled  forward  through  the 
regions  of  space  at  the  rate  of  sixty-eight  thousand 
miles  in  an  hour.  Nor  is  this  among  the  most 
wonderful  effects  of  divine  power:  it  is  only  one 
comparatively  small  specimen  of  that  omnipotent 
energy  which  resides  in  the  Eternal  Mind.  When 
we  lift  our  eyes  towards  the  sky,  we  behold  bodies 
a  thousand  times  larger  than  our  world,  impelled 
with  similar  velocities  through  the  mighty  expanse 
of  the  universe.  We  behold  the  planetary  globes 
wheeling  their  rapid  courses  around  the  sun,  with 
unremitting  velocity — the  comets  returning  from 
their  long  excursions  in  the  distant  regions  of  space, 
and  flying  towards  the  centre  of  our  system  with  a 
velocity  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  miles  an  hour — 
the  sun  himself  impelled  towards  some  distant  region 
of  space,  and  carrying  along  with  him  all  his  atten¬ 
dant  planets — and,  in  a  word,  we  have  the  strongest 
reason  to  conclude,  that  all  the  vast  systems  of  the 
universe,  which  are  more  numerous  than  language 
can  express,  are  in  rapid  and  incessant  motion  around 
the  throne  of  the  Eternal,  carrying  forward  the 


42 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


grand  designs  of  infinite  wisdom  which  they  were 
destined  to  accomplish.* 

It  must,  however,  be  admitted,  that  the  manifes¬ 
tation  of  power,  or  great  physical  energy,  abstractly 
considered,  is  not  of  itself  calculated  to  produce  that 
emotion  of  reverence  which  flows  from  love,  unless 
the  being  in  whom  it  resides  exerts  it  for  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  benevolence.  A  superior  being,  endowed 
with  great  physical  and  intellectual  energies,  which 
are  exerted  solely  for  the  purpose  of  destruction, 
could  inspire  no  feelings  but  those  of  dread  and 
alarm ;  and  were  it  possible  to  conceive  an  Omnipo¬ 
tent  Being  divested  of  the  attribute  of  benevolence, 
or  possessed  of  a  capricious  character,  he  would  form, 
the  most  terrible  object  which  the  human  mind  could 
contemplate.  But  the  attribute  of  infinite  power, 
when  conjoined  with  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness, 
conveys  an  idea  the  most  glorious  and  transporting. 
Every  display  of  divine  power  to  which  I  have  now 
alluded,  has  the  communication  of  happiness  for  its 
object.  The  motion  of  the  earth  around  its  axis 
every  twenty-four  hours,  is  intended  to  distribute 
light  and  darkness,  in  regular  proportions,  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  to  correspond  to  the 
labour  and  rest  appointed  for  man.  It  produces  a 
variety  which  is  highly  gratifying  to  the  rational 
mind ;  for,  while  our  fellow-men  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  globe  are  enjoying  the  splendours  of  the 
noonday  sun,  the  shades  of  night,  which  at  that  time 
envelop  our  hemisphere,  are  the  means  of  disclosing 


*  See  a  more  comprehensive  illustration  of  this  subject  in 
“  The  Christian  Philosopher,”  6th  edition,  pp.  43 — 88. 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


43 


to  our  view  the  magnificent  glories  of  the  starry 
frame.  Were  this  motion  to  cease,  this  world  and 
all  its  inhabitants  would  be  thrown  into  a  state  of 
confusion  and  misery.  While  the  inhabitants  of 
one  hemisphere  enjoyed  the  splendours  of  perpetual 
day,  the  glories  of  the  nocturnal  heavens  wopld  be 
for  ever  veiled  from  their  view,  and  the  inhabitants 
of  the  other  hemisphere  would  be  enveloped  in  the 
shades  of  eternal  night.  While  the  one  class  was 
suffering  under  the  scorching  effects  of  excessive 
heat,  the  other  would  be  frozen  to  death  amidst  the 
rigours  of  insufferable  cold — vegetable  nature,  in 
both  cases,  would  languish,  and  the  animal  tribes 
would  be  gradually  extinguished. 

The  same  benevolent  intention  may  be  perceived 
in  that  exertion  of  power  by  which  the  earth  is  car¬ 
ried  forward  in  its  annual  course  around  the  sun. 
From  this  motion  we  derive  all  the  pleasures  we  en¬ 
joy  from  the  vicissitude  of  the  seasons;  without 
which  the  variety  of  nature  that  appears  in  the 
beauties  of  spring,  the  luxuriance  of  summer,  the 
fruits  of  autumn,  and  the  repose  of  winter,  would  be 
completely  destroyed.  And,  it  is  worthy  of  notice, 
that  all  this  variety  is  enjoyed  every  moment  by  some 
tribe  or  other  of  the  human  family ;  for  while  it  is 
summer  in  one  region,  it  is  winter  in  another;  and 
while  one  class  of  our  fellow-men  is  contemplating 
the  opening  beauties  of  spring,  another  is  gathering 
in  the  fruits  of  harvest.  The  same  benevolent  de¬ 
signs,  we  have  every  reason  to  believe,  are  displayed 
in  those  more  magnificent  exertions  of  divine  power 
which  appear  among  all  the  rolling  worlds  on  high  ; 
for,  in  so  far  as  our  observations  extend,  all  the  ar- 


44.  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

rangements  of  the  planetary  globes  appear  calculated 
to  promote  the  happiness  of  sentient  and  intellectual 
beings. 

While,  therefore,  we  contemplate  the  operations 
of  divine  power,  either  in  the  earth  or  in  the  hea¬ 
vens,  we  perceive  every  thing  which  is  calculated  to 
inspire  us  with  love,  admiration,  and  reverence. 
When  we  lie  down  on  our  pillows  in  the  evening, 
how  pleasing  is  it  to  reflect,  that  the  power  of  our 
Almighty  Father  will  be  exerted  in  carrying  us  round 
in  safety  several  thousands  of  miles,  during  our  re¬ 
pose  in  sleep,  in  order  that  our  eyes  may  be  again 
cheered  with  the  morning  light !  When,  amidst  the 
gloom  and  storms  of  winter,  we  look  forward  to  the 
reviving  scenes  of  spring,  we  know  that  we  must  be 
carried  forward  more  than  a  hundred  millions  of 
miles,  before  we  can  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  that  de¬ 
lightful  season  ;  and  when  spring  arrives,  we  must 
be  carried  through  the  voids  of  space  a  hundred  mil¬ 
lions  of  miles  farther,  before  we  can  reap  the  fruits 
of  summer  and  harvest.  How  delightful,  then,  is 
the  thought,  that  the  omnipotent  energy  of  our  hea¬ 
venly  Father  is  incessantly  exerted  in  producing  so 
wonderful  an  effect,  accompanied  by  such  a  variety 
of  beneficent  changes,  all  contributing  to  our  enjoy¬ 
ment  !* 


*  In  this,  and  other  places  of  this  work,  the  truth  of  the  annual 
and  diurnal  motions  of  the  earth  is  taken  for  granted,  because  I 
conceive  it  is  susceptible  of  the  clearest  demonstration. — (See 
“  Christ.  Philosopher,”  Gth  edit.  pp.  67,  68,  273,  274,  498.)  But 
should  the  truth  of  this  position  be  called  in  question  or  denied, 
it  will  not  materially  affect  the  propriety  of  such  moral  reflections 
as  are  here  stated;  for,  in  this  case,  a  similar,  or  even  a  much 
greater  display  of  omnipotence  must  be  admitted  in  reference  to 
the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  in  bringing  about  the  suc¬ 
cession  of  day  and  night,  and  the  changes  of  the  seasons. 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


45 


What  is  the  reason,  then,  why  we  feel  so  little 
admiration  and  reverence  at  the  beneficent  operations 
of  divine  power?  If  we  should  be  struck  with  vene¬ 
ration  at  beholding  a  superior  created  intelligence 
tossing  a  range  of  mountains  into  the  sea,  why  do 
we  behold  with  so  much  apathy  effects  ten  thousand 
times  more  energetic  and  astonishing?  One  gene¬ 
ral  reason,  among  others,  undoubtedly  is,  that  the 
moral  constitution  of  man  has  suffered  a  melancholy 
derangement;  in  consequence  of  which,  the  train  of 
his  thoughts  and  affections  has  been  turned  out  of 
its  original  channel.  The  Scriptures  are  clear  and 
explicit  on  this  point :  they  declare,  in  the  most  posi¬ 
tive  terms,  that  <c  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against. 
God,”  and  that,  in  consequence  of  this  depraved 
principle,  the  wicked  “  walk  in  the  vanity  of  their 
minds,  being  alienated  from  the  life  of  God.  They 
say  to  the  Almighty,  Depart  from  us,  for  we  desire 
not  the  knowledge  of  thy  ways.  God  is  not  in  all 
their  thoughts,  and  through  the  pride  of  their  coun¬ 
tenances  they  will  not  call  upon  God.” — Another 
reason  is,  that  the  almighty  Agent  who  produces  so 
stupendous  effects  remains  invisible  to  mortal  eyes. 
Were  a  celestial  intelligence  to  appear  in  a  splendid 
and  definite  form,  and  to  produce  such  effects  as  I 
have  supposed,  the  connexion  between  the  agent  and 
the  effects  produced,  would  forcibly  strike  the  senses 
and  the  imagination.  But  He  who  sits  on  the 
throne  of  the  universe,  and  conducts  all  its  move¬ 
ments,  is  a  Being  “  who  dwells  in  light  unapproach¬ 
able,  whom  no  man  hath  seen,  or  can  see.”  He 
can  be  contemplated  only  through  the  sensible  mani¬ 
festations  he  gives  of  his  perfections ;  and,  were  the 


46 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


train  of  our  thoughts  properly  directed,  we  would 
perceive  him  operating  in  every  object  and  in  every 
movement.  We  would  hear  his  voice  in  the  wind 
and  the  thunder,  in  the  earthquake,  the  storm,  and 
the  tempest;  we  would  see  him  in  the  beauties  and 
sublimities  of  sublunary  nature,  in  the  splendours  of 
the  sun,  and  the  glories  of  the  nocturnal  sky;  and, 
in  whatever  situation  we  might  be  placed,  we  would 
feel  ourselves  surrounded  with  the  omnipotent  ener¬ 
gies  of  an  ever-present  Deity. 

The  contemplation  of  God  as  an  omnipotent  being, 
is  calculated  to  inspire  the  mind  with  love  and  con¬ 
fidence  in  the  prospect  of  futurity.  The  promises 
addressed  to  us  by  a  wise  and  benevolent  being  can 
excite  in  us  trust  and  dependence,  only  in  so  far  as 
we  are  convinced  of  his  ability  to  secure  their  fulfil¬ 
ment.  If  almighty  power  were  not  an  attribute  of 
the  Eternal  Mind,  or  were  we  unable  to  trace  its 
operations  in  visible  existing  facts,  then  all  the  pro¬ 
mises  and  delineations  of  revelation,  in  reference  to 
unseen  and  eternal  objects,  might  prove  to  be  no¬ 
thing  more  than  imaginary  scenes  that  could  never 
be  realized.  But  the  good  man,  who  perceives  om¬ 
nipotent  energy  in  incessant  operation  throughout  all 
the  scenes  of  the  universe  which  surround  him,  feels 
the  most  perfect  security  in  looking  forward  to  the 
scene  of  his  future  destination,  and  to  those  changes 
and  revolutions  which  shall  succeed  the  period  of  his 
present  existence.  He  knows  that,  in  a  few  years 
at  most,  that  immortal  principle  which  now  animates 
his  frame,  will  take  its  flight  from  its  earthly  man¬ 
sion  to  a  world  unknown.  To  what  regions  it  will 
direct  its  course ;  what  scenes  and  prospects  will  be 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


47 


unfolded  to  its  view ;  what  intercourse  it  may  have 
with  the  spirits  of  departed  men,  or  with  other  intel¬ 
ligences;  in  what  state  it  shall  pass  its  existence  till 
the  consummation  of  the  present  plan  of  Providence 
— whether  it  shall  remain  as  a  naked  spirit  entirely 
disconnected  with  the  visible  universe,  or  he  clothed 
with  some  ethereal  vehicle,  to  enable  it  to  hold  a 
correspondence  with  other  regions  of  the  material 
creation — he  is  at  present  unable  to  determine.  He 
knows  that  his  body,  too,  shall  disappear  from  the 
living  world,  and  be  reduced  to  corruption  and  ashes. 
In  what  manner  the  essential  particles  of  this  body 
shall  be  preserved  distinct  from  those  of  all  other 
human  bodies,  after  they  have  been  tossed  about  by 
the  winds,  and  blended  with  the  other  elements  of 
nature ;  by  what  means  they  shall  be  re-united  into 
a  more  glorious  form  ;  and  how  the  separate  spirit 
shall  be  enabled  to  recognise  its  renovated  and  long- 
lost  partner  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just — he  can 
form  no  conception. 

He  knows,  that  the  globe  on  which  he  now  re¬ 
sides  is  doomed  to  be  dissolved  amidst  devouring 
flames,  when  “  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent 
heat,  and  the  earth,  and  the  works  that  are  therein, 
shall  be  burnt  up” — that  the  ashes  of  all  the  my¬ 
riads  of  the  race  of  Adam  shall  issue  from  the  caverns 
of  the  ocean,  and  from  the  charnel-houses,  in  every 
region  of  the  land — that  they  shall  be  moulded  into 
new  organical  structures,  united  with  their  kindred 
spirits,  and  be  convened  in  one  grand  assembly  be¬ 
fore  God,  the  Judge  of  all.  He  knows,  that  “  new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth”  will  be  arranged  for  the 
residence  of  the  “  redeemed ;”  but  in  what  region  of 


48 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  universe  this  abode  may  be  prepared,  what  scenes 
it  will  unfold,  and  by  what  means  the  innumerable 
company  of  the  righteous  shall  be  transported  from 
amidst  the  ruins  of  this  globe  to  that  celestial  habi¬ 
tation,  he  is  at  present  at  a  loss  to  form  even  a  con¬ 
jecture.  He  knows,  that  after  these  solemn  changes 
have  been  effected,  ages  numerous  as  the  drops  of 
the  ocean  will  roll  over  him — that  worlds,  numerous 
as  the  stars  of  heaven,  will  still  run  their  destined 
rounds — that  other  systems  may  undergo  important 
changes  and  revolutions — that  new  systems  of  crea¬ 
tion  may  be  gradually  emerging  into  existence,  and 
that  scenes  of  magnificence  and  glory,  different  from 
all  that  ever  preceded  them,  may  incessantly  rise  to 
view,  throughout  the  lapse  of  unceasing  duration. 
But,  in  the  prospect  of  all  these  solemn  and  impor¬ 
tant  events,  he  beholds — in  that  almighty  energy 
which  wheels  our  globe  around  from  day  to  day,  and 
impels  it  in  its  annual  course,  and  which  directs,  at 
the  same  time,  the  movements  of  all  the  hosts  of 
heaven — the  exertion  of  a  benevolent  power,  which 
is  calculated  to  inspire  him  with  love  and  confidence, 
and  which  is  able  to  secure  his  happiness  amidst  the 
revolutions  of  worlds,  and  amidst  all  the  scenes 
through  which  he  may  pass  during  an  immortal  ex¬ 
istence.  Under  this  impression,  he  can  adopt  the 
affectionate  and  triumphant  language  of  the  Psalmist: 
“  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee?  and  there  is 
none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee  !  Mv 
heart  and  my  flesh  shall  fail ;  but  God  is  the  strength 
of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  omnipotence  of  God  is 
one  of  those  attributes  of  his  nature  which  is  parti- 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


49 


cularly  calculated  to  fill  the  mind  with  sentiments  of 
love  and  confidence,  admiration  and  reverence.  And, 
if  such  emotions  be  at  all  excited  in  the  mind,  they 
must  rise  to  the  highest  pitch  of  elevation  to  which 
we  can  carry  them;  for  there  is  no  other  object  or 
being  that  possesses  the  same  perfection,  or  can  claim 
the  same  degree  of  affection  and  love.  If  we  love 
God  at  all,  it  must  be  “  with  all  our  heart,  with  all 
our  understanding,  and  with  all  our  strength.” — The 
considerations  to  which  I  have  now  adverted,  have 
been  too  seldom  taken  into  view  in  moral  and  reli¬ 
gious  discussions  on  this  topic.  The  omnipotence 
of  the  Deity  is  seldom  exhibited  as  a  ground  and  an 
excitement  of  veneration  and  love,  and  yet  it  stands, 
as  it  wyere,  on  the  forefront  of  the  divine  character, 
giving  beauty  and  efficiency  to  all  his  other  perfec¬ 
tions  :  without  which,  wisdom,  benevolence,  faithful¬ 
ness,  mercy,  and  patience,  would  degenerate  into 
empty  names,  and  form  no  solid  foundation  for  the 
exercise  of  confidence  and  hope.  And,  therefore,  it 
is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  endeavour,  by  every 
proper  means,  to  enlarge  his  conceptions  of  the  ope¬ 
rations  of  omnipotence,  and  to  familiarize  his  mind 
to  contemplations,  of  the  magnitude,  motions,  gran¬ 
deur,  and  immensity,  of  God’s  works,  in  order  that 
his  love  to  God  may  be  elevated  and  expanded,  and 
his  faith  and  hope  strengthened  and  invigorated. 
To  this  attribute  of  Jehovah  the  inspired  writers 
uniformly  direct  our  views,  as  a  source  of  joy  and 
confidence.  “  Praise  ye  the  Lord, — praise  him,  ye 
servants  of  the  Lord;  for  I  know  that  Jehovah  is 
Great ,  and  that  our  Lord  is  above  all  gods.  What- 
d.  2.  c 


50 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ever  the  Lord  pleased  that  did  he,  in  heaven,  and  in 
earth,  in  the  seas,  and  all  deep  places. — Great  is  the 
Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised ;  his  greatness  is 
unsearchable.  I  will  speak  of  the  glorious  honour 
of  thy  majesty,  and  of  thy  wondrous  works.  I  will 
speak  of  the  might  of  thy  terrible  acts,  and  will  de¬ 
clare  thy  greatness  ;  to  make  known  to  the  sons  of 
men  thy  mighty  operations,  and  the  glorious  ma¬ 
jesty  of  thy  kingdom.  Happy  is  he  who  hath  the 
God  of  Jacob  for  his  help,  whose  hope  is  in  the 
Lord  his  God,  who  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea, 
and  all  that  in  them  is,  who  keepeth  truth  for  ever.” 


SECTION  II. 

On  the  Wisdom  and  Goodness  of  God. 

Another  feature  in  the  divine  character,  which 
is  calculated  to  excite  our  most  ardent  affection,  is, 
the  Wisdom  and  Goodness  of  God.  These  two  at¬ 
tributes  may  be  considered  under  one  head  ;  since 
they  are  always  inseparable  in  their  operation.  Good¬ 
ness  proposes  the  end,  namely,  the  happiness  of  the 
sensitive  and  intelligent  creation  ;  and  Wisdom  selects 
the  most  proper  means  for  its  accomplishment. 

Wherever  genius  appears  combined  with  benevo¬ 
lent  intentions  and  beneficent  operations,  we  cannot 
withhold  a  certain  portion  of  affection  and  regard. 

When  we  behold  a  man  like  Howard ,  devoting 
his  wealth,  his  knowledge,  his  intellectual  and  active 
powers,  to  alleviate  the  sorrows,  and  to  promote  the 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


51 


happiness  of  his  fellow-men — when  we  behold  him 
in  retirement  at  his  native  mansion,  a  universal  bless¬ 
ing  to  his  neighbours  around  him,  furnishing  em¬ 
ployment  for  the  poor,  erecting  schools  for  the  in¬ 
struction  of  their  children,  watching  over  the  morals 
of  his  neighbourhood,  visiting  the  abodes  of  afflic¬ 
tion,  acting  the  part  of  a  physician  to  their  bodies, 
imparting  spiritual  instruction  to  their  souls,  promot¬ 
ing  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  religion,  and  ex¬ 
tending  his  benevolent  regards  to  persons  of  all  reli¬ 
gious  persuasions — when  we  behold  him  leaving  his 
native  country,  and  the  friends  of  his  youth,  on  a 
tour  of  benevolence  over  all  Europe  and  the  East, 
hazarding  his  health  and  his  life  in  the  service  of 
humanity,  diving  into  the  depths  of  dungeons,  plung¬ 
ing  into  the  infected  atmospheres  of  hospitals  and 
jails,  visiting  the  lonely  and  squalid  prisoner,  enter¬ 
ing  the  wretched  hovels  of  sorrow  and  affliction,  ad¬ 
ministering  consolation  and  relief,  and  surveying  the 
dimensions  of  misery  and  distress  among  men  of  all 
nations,  for  the  purpose  of  devising  schemes  for  the 
relief  of  the  distresses  of  suffering  humanity,  and  for 
promoting  the  comforts  of  mankind, — when  such  a 
character  appears  on  the  stage  of  life,  there  is  no 
class  of  the  human  race,  whose  powers  are  not  com¬ 
pletely  vitiated,  but  must  feel  towards  it  strong  emo¬ 
tions  of  esteem  and  of  affectionate  regard. 

But  what  are  all  the  wise  and  beneficent  designs 
of  a  fellow-mortal,  when  compared  with  the  nume¬ 
rous  and  diversified  streams  of  benevolence  which 
are  incessantly  flowing  from  the  uncreated  Source  of 
felicity  !  They  are  but  as  a  drop  to  the  ocean,  or  as 
an  atom  when  compared  with  the  immensity  of  the 

c  2 


52 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


universe.  On  God  all  beings  depend,  from  the  arch¬ 
angel  to  the  worm  ;  from  Him  they  derive  their  com¬ 
forts  ;  to  Him  they  are  indebted  for  all  their  powers 
and  faculties ;  and  on  Him  their  eternal  felicity  de¬ 
pends.  Were  we  to  prosecute  this  subject  to  any 
extent,  it  would  lead  us  into  a  field  on  which  vo¬ 
lumes  might  he  written,  and  yet  the  greater  part  of 
the  displays  of  divine  beneficence  would  remain  un¬ 
recorded.  I  shall  therefore  confine  myself  to  the 
selection  of  only  a  few  instances  of  the  wisdom  and 
o-oodness  of  God. 

Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  in  the  world  around 
us,  w'e  behold  innumerable  instances  of  our  Creator’s 
beneficence.  In  order  that  the  eye  and  the  imagi¬ 
nation  may  he  gratified  and  charmed,  he  has  spread 
over  the  surface  of  our  terrestrial  habitation  an  as¬ 
semblage  of  the  richest  colours,  which  beautify  and 
adorn  the  landscape  of  the  earth,  and  present  to  our 
view  a  picturesque  and  diversified  scenery,  which  is 
highly  gratifying  to  the  principle  of  novelty  implanted 
in  the  human  mind.  On  all  sides  we  behold  a  rich 
variety  of  beauty  and  magnificence.  Here,  spread 
the  wide  plains  and  fertile  fields,  adorned  with  fruits 
and  verdure ;  there,  the  hills  rise  in  gentle  slopes, 
and  the  mountains  rear  their  snowy  tops  to  the  clouds, 
distilling  from  their  sides  the  brooks  and  rivers,  which 
enliven  and  fertilize  the  plains  through  which  they 
flow. 

panse  in  the  bosom  of  th 
rivers  meander  through  the  forests  and  the  flowery 
fields,  diversifying  the  rural  scene,  and  distributing 
health  and  fertility  in  their  train.  Here,  we  be¬ 
hold  the  rugged  cliffs  and  the  stately  port  of  the 


Here,  the  lake  stretches  into  a  smooth  ex- 
e  mountains  ;  there,  the 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


53 


forest;  there,  we  are  charmed  with  the  verdure  of  the 
meadow,  the  enamel  of  flowers,  the  azure  of  the  sky, 
and  the  gay  colouring  of  the  morning  and  evening 
clouds.  In  order  that  this  scene  of  beauty  and  mag¬ 
nificence  might  be  rendered  visible,  He  formed  the 
element  of  light,  without  which  the  expanse  of  the 
universe  would  be  a  boundless  desert,  and  its  beau¬ 
ties  for  ever  veiled  from  our  sight.  It  opens  to  our 
view  the  mountains,  the  hills,  the  vales,  the  woods, 
the  lawns,  the  flocks  and  herds,  the  wonders  of  the 
mighty  deep,  and  the  radiant  orbs  of  heaven.  It 
paints  a  thousand  different  hues  on  the  objects  around 
us,  and  promotes  a  cheerful  and  extensive  intercourse 
among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  globe. 

Again,  in  order  to  gratify  the  sense  of  hearing , 
He  formed  the  atmosphere,  and  endowed  it  with  an 
undulating  quality,  that  it  might  waft  to  our  ears  the 
pleasures  of  sound,  and  the  charms  of  music.  The 
murmuring  of  the  brooks,  the  whispers  of  the  gentle 
breeze,  the  soothing  sounds  of  the  rivulet,  the  noise 
of  the  waterfall,  the  hum  of  bees,  the  buzz  of  in¬ 
sects,  the  chirping  of  birds,  the  soft  notes  of  the 
nightingale,  and  the  melody  of  thousands  of  the 
feathered  songsters  which  fill  the  groves  with  their 
warblings,  produce  a  pleasing  variety  of  delightful 
emotions; — the  numerous  modulations  of  the  human 
voice,  the  articulate  sounds  peculiar  to  the  human 
species,  by  which  the  interchanges  of  thought  and 
affection  are  promoted,  the  soft  notes  of  the  piano¬ 
forte,  the  solemn  sounds  of  the  organ — and  even  the 
roaring  of  the  stormy  ocean,  the  dashings  of  a  mighty 
cataract,  and  the  rolling  thunders,  which  elevate  the 
soul  to  sentiments  of  sublimity  and  awe, — are  all 


54 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


productive  of  a  mingled  variety  of  pleasures ;  and 
demonstrate,  that  the  distribution  of  happiness  is 
one  grand  end  of  the  operations  of  our  bountiful 
Creator. 

To  gratify  the  sense  of  smelling ,  he  has  perfumed 
the  air  with  a  variety  of  delicious  odours,  which  are 
incessantly  exhaled  from  a  thousand  plants  and 
flowers.  Countless  millions  of  these  odoriferous 
particles,  which  elude  the  penetrating  power  of  the 
finest  microscope  to  discover,  are  continually  wafted 
about  by  the  air,  and  floating  around  us,  impervious 
to  the  sight,  the  hearing,  and  the  touch,  but  calcu¬ 
lated  to  convey  pleasure  to  the  soul,  through  the 
medium  of  the  olfactory  nerves,  and  to  enable  us  to 
“  banquet  on  the  invisible  dainties  of  nature.” 

To  gratify  the  sense  of  feeling ,  he  has  connected 
pleasure  with  the  contact  of  almost  every  thing  we 
have  occasion  to  touch,  and  has  rendered  it  subser¬ 
vient  for  warning  us  of  whatever  may  be  disagree¬ 
able  or  dangerous.  Had  a  malevolent  Being  con¬ 
structed  the  body  of  man,  and  formed  the  arrange¬ 
ments  of  external  nature,  he  might  have  rendered  the 
contact  of  every  object  of  touch  as  acutely  painful, 
as  when  we  clasp  a  prickly  shrub,  or  thrust  our  fin¬ 
gers  against  the  point  of  a  needle. 

To  gratify  the  sense  of  taste ,  and  to  nourish  our 
bodies,  he  has  furnished  us  with  a  rich  variety  of  ali¬ 
ments,  distributed,  not  with  a  niggardly  and  a  spar¬ 
ing  hand,  but  with  a  luxuriant  profusion,  suited  to 
the  tastes  of  every  sentient  being,  and  to  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  the  inhabitants  of  every  clime.  He 
has  not  confined  his  bounty  merely  to  the  relief  of 
our  necessities,  by  confining  us  to  the  use  of  a  few 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


55 


tasteless  herbs  and  roots,  but  has  covered  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  earth  with  an  admirable  profusion  of 
plants,  herbs,  grains,  and  delicious  fruits  of  a  thou¬ 
sand  different  qualities  and  tastes,  which  contribute 
to  the  sensitive  enjoyment  and  comfort  of  man.  In 
almost  every  region  of  the  earth,  corn  is  to  be  found, 
in  the  valleys  surrounded  by  the  snowy  mountains  ot 
the  North,  as  well  as  in  the  verdant  plains  of  the 
Torrid  Zone.  In  warm  regions,  cool  and  delicious 
fruits  are  provided  for  the  refreshment  of  the  in¬ 
habitants,  and  the  trees  are  covered  with  luxuriant 
foliage  to  screen  them  from  the  intensity  of  the  solar 
heat  !*  Every  season  presents  us  with  a  variety  of 
fruits  peculiar  to  itself,  distributed  by  the  munificent 
hand  of  the  t(  Giver  of  all  good.”  The  month  of  June 
presents  us  with  cabbages,  cauliflowers,  and  cherries ; 
July,  with  gooseberries,  raspberries,  peaches,  and 
apricots ;  August  and  September  scatter  before  us, 
in  luxuriant  abundance,  plums,  figs,  apples,  pears, 
turnips,  carrots,  cresses,  potatoes,  and,  above  all, 
wheat,  oats,  rye,  and  barley,  which  constitute  the 

*  The  manner  in  which  the  Creator  has  contrived  a  supply  for 
the  Hurst  of  man,  in  sultry  places,  is  worthy  of  admiration. — He 
has  placed,  amidst  the  burning  sands  of  Africa,  a  plant,  whose 
leaf,  twisted  round  like  a  cruet,  is  always  filled  with  a  large  glass 
full  of  fresh  water;  the  gullet  of  this  cruet  is  shut  by  the  extre¬ 
mity  of  the  leaf  itself,  so  as  to  prevent  the  water  from  evaporat¬ 
ing.  He  has  planted,  in  some  other  districts  of  the  same  coun¬ 
try,  a  great  tree,  called  by  the  negroes  Boa,  the  trunk  of  which, 
of  a  prodigious  bulk,  is  naturally  hollowed  like  a  cistern.  In  the 
rainy  season,  it  receives  its  fill  of  water,  which  continues  fresh 
and  cool  in  the  greatest  heats,  by  means  of  the  tufted  foliage 

which  crowns  its  summit _ In  some  of  the  parched  rocky  islands 

in  the  West  Indies,  there  is  found  a  tree,  called  the  water  lianne, 
so  full  of  sap,  that  if  you  cut  a  single  branch  of  it,  as  much  water 
is  immediately  discharged  as  a  man  can  drink  at  a  draught,  and  it 

perfectly  pure  and  limpid. — See  Pierre's  Studies  of  Nature. 


56 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


“  staff  of  bread”  for  the  support  of  man  and  beast  : 
and  although  we  are  indebted  chiefly  to  summer  and 
autumn  for  these  rich  presents,  yet,  by  the  assistance 
of  human  art,  we  can  preserve  and  enjoy  the  greater 
part  during  winter  and  spring.  The  soil  which  pro¬ 
duces  these  dainties  has  never  yet  lost  its  fertility, 
though  it  has  brought  forth  the  harvests  of  six 
thousand  years,  but  still  repays  our  labour  with  its 
annual  treasures; — and,  were  selfish  man  animated 
with  the  same  liberal  and  generous  views  as  his  mu¬ 
nificent  Creator,  every  individual  of  the  human  fa¬ 
mily  would  be  plentifully  supplied  with  a  share  of 
these  rich  and  delicious  bounties  of  nature. 

In  fine,  the  happiness  of  man  appears  to  be  the 
object  of  the  divine  care  every  returning  season,  every 
moment,  by  day  and  by  night.  By  day,  He  cheers 
us  with  the  enlivening  beams  of  the  sun,  which  un¬ 
fold  to  us  the  beauty  and  the  verdure  of  the  fields  ; 
and,  lest  the  constant  efflux  of  his  light  and  heat 
should  enfeeble  our  bodies,  and  wither  the  tender 
herbs,  he  commands  the  clouds  to  interpose,  as  so 
many  magnificent  screens,  to  ward  off  the  intensity 
of  the  solar  rays.  When  the  earth  is  drained  of  its 
moisture,  and  parched  with  heat,  he  bids  the  clouds 
condense  their  watery  treasures,  and  fly  from  other 
regions  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  to  pour  their  wa¬ 
ters  upon  the  fields,  not  in  overwhelming  and  de¬ 
structive  torrents,  but  in  small  drops  and  gentle 
showers,  to  refresh  the  thirsty  soil,  and  revive  the 
vegetable  tribes.  He  has  spread  under  our  feet  a 
carpet  of  lovely  green,  richer  than  all  the  produc¬ 
tions  of  the  Persian  loom,  and  has  thrown  around 
our  habitation  an  azure  canopy,  which  directs  our 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


57 


view  to  the  distant  regions  of  infinite  space. — By 
night ,  He  draws  a  veil  of  darkness  over  the  moun¬ 
tains  and  the  plains,  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  pene¬ 
trate  to  the  regions  of  distant  worlds,  and  behold  the 
moon  walking  in  brightness,  the  aspects  of  the  pla¬ 
netary  globes,  the  long  trains  of  comets,  and  the  in¬ 
numerable  host  of  stars.  At  this  season,  too,  all 
nature  is  still,  that  we  may  enjoy  in  quiet  the  re¬ 
freshments  of  sleep,  to  invigorate  our  mental  and 
corporeal  powers.  “  As  a  mother  stills  every  little 
noise,  that  her  infant  be  not  disturbed;  as  she  draws 
the  curtains  around  its  bed,  and  shuts  out  the  light 
from  its  tender  eyes  :  so  God  draws  the  curtains  of 
darkness  around  us,  so  he  makes  all  things  to  be 
hushed  and  still,  that  his  large  family  may  sleep  in 
peace.” — In  a  word,  if  we  look  around  to  the  forests 
which  cover  the  mountains,  or  if  we  look  downwards 
to  the  quarries  and  mines  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
we  behold  abundance  of  materials  for  constructing 
our  habitations,  for  embellishing  the  abodes  of  civi¬ 
lized  life,  and  for  carrying  forward  improvements  in 
the  arts  and  sciences.  And,  if  we  consider  the  sur¬ 
rounding  atmosphere,  we  shall  find  it  to  contain  the 
principle  of  life,  and  the  element  of  fire^  by  means 
of  which  our  winter  evenings  are  cheered  and  illu¬ 
minated  in  the  absence  of  the  sun. — Contemplating 
all  these  benign  agencies  as  flowing  from  the  care 
and  benevolence  of  our  Almighty  Parent,  the  pious 
mind  may  adopt  the  beautiful  language  of  the  poet, 
though  in  a  sense  somewhat  different  from  what  he 
intended  : — 

“  For  me  kind  Nature  wakes  her  genial  power, 

Suckles  each  herb,  and  spreads  out  every  flower; 

c  3 


58 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Annual  for  me,  the  grape,  the  rose,  renew 
The  juice  nectareous,  and  the  balmy  dew; 

For  me  the  mine  a  thousand  treasures  brings ; 

For  me  health  gushes  from  a  thousand  springs ; 

Seas  roll  to  waft  me,  suns  to  light  me  rise: 

My  footstool  earth,  my  canopy  the  skies.:’  Pope. 

Viewing  the  various  scenes  and  harmonies  of  na¬ 
ture,  in  relation  to  man,  and  to  the  gratification  of 
his  different  senses,  we  may  also  say,  in  the  language 
of  Akenside,  in  his  poem  <c  On  the  Pleasures  of 
Imagination,”  that 

- “  Not  a  breeze 

Flies  o’er  the  meadow,  not  a  cloud  imbibes 
The  setting  sun’s  effulgence;  not  a  strain 
From  all  the  tenants  of  the  warbling  shade 
Ascends,  but  whence  his  bosom  can  partake 

Fresh  pleasure  and  delight - 

The  rolling  waves,  the  sun’s  unwearied  course. 

The  elements  and  seasons,  all  declare 
For  what  the  Eternal  Maker  has  ordain’d 
The  powers  of  man:  we  feel  within  ourselves 
His  energy  divine  :  He  tells  the  heart 
He  meant,  He  made  us  to  behold  and  love 
What  he  beholds  and  loves,  the  general  orb 
Of  life  and  being:  to  be  great  like  Him, 

Beneficent  and  active.” - 

Let  us  now  consider  the  Wisdom  which  is  dis¬ 
played  in  the  harmonious  adjustment  of  the  organs 
of  sense  to  the  scenes  of  external  nature .  All  the 
scenes  of  beauty,  grandeur,  and  benignity,  which 
surround  us,  in  the  earth  and  heavens,  would  remain 
as  one  mighty  blank,  unproductive  of  enjoyment,  un¬ 
less  our  bodies  were  endowed  with  organs  fitted  for 
enabling  us  to  hold  a  correspondence  with  the  ma¬ 
terial  world.  Ten  thousands  of  vessels,  tubes,  bones, 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


59 


muscles,  ligaments,  membranes,  motions,  contriv¬ 
ances,  and  adaptations,  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
human  understanding  fully  to  investigate  or  to  com¬ 
prehend,  must  be  arranged,  and  act  in  harmonious 
concert,  before  any  one  sense  belonging  to  man  can 
perceive  and  enjoy  its  objects. 

Before  the  eye  can  behold  a  landscape,  and  be 
charmed  with  its  beauties,  it  was  requisite  that  three 
humours  should  be  formed,  of  different  sizes,  dif¬ 
ferent  densities,  and  different  refractive  powers — 
three  coats,  or  delicate  membranes,  with  some  parts 
opaque  and  some  transparent,  some  black  and  some 
white,  some  of  them  formed  of  radial ,  and  some 
with  circular  fibres,  composed  of  threads  finer  than 
those  of  the  spider’s  web.  The  crystalline  humour 
required  to  be  composed  of  two  thousand  very  thin 
spherical  lamina,  or  scales,  lying  one  upon  another, 
every  one  of  these  scales  made  up  of  one  single 
fibre,  or  finest  thread,  wound,  in  a  most  stupendous 
manner,  this  way  and  that  way,  so  as  to  run  several 
courses,  and  to  meet  in  as  many  centres.  This  curi¬ 
ous  and  delicate  piece  of  organization  required  to  be 
compressed  into  the  size  of  a  ball  of  only  half  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  a  socket  composed  of  a  number 
of  small  bones,  to  be  hollowed  out  and  exactly  fitted 
for  its  reception.  A  bed  of  loose  fat  for  this  ball  to 
rest  upon,  a  lid  or  curtain  to  secure  it  from  danger, 
a  variety  of  muscles  to  enable  it  to  move  upwards 
and  downwards,  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  and  a 
numerous  assemblage  of  minute  veins,  arteries,  nerves, 
lymphatics,  glands,  and  other  delicate  pieces  of  animal 
machinery,  of  which  we  have  no  distinct  conception, 
were  still  requisite  to  complete  this  admirable  organ. 


60 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Even  in  this  state  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  vision,  unless  it  were  connected  with  the 
brain  by  the  optic  nerve,  through  the  medium  of  which 
the  impressions  of  visible  objects  are  conveyed  to  the 
soul.  Still,  in  addition  to  all  these  contrivances,  a 
wonderful  machinery  requires  to  be  in  action,  and 
an  admirable  effect  produced,  before  a  landscape  can 
be  contemplated.  Ten  thousand  millions  of  rays, 
compounded  of  a  thousand  different  shades  of  colour, 
must  fly  off  in  every  direction  from  the  objects  which 
compose  the  surrounding  scene,  and  be  compressed 
into  the  space  of  one  eighth  of  an  inch,  in  order  to 
enter  the  eye,  and  must  paint  every  object  in  its  true 
colour,  form,  and  proportion,  on  a  space  not  exceed¬ 
ing  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  Were  any  one  of  the 
parts  which  compose  this  complicated  machine,  either 
wanting  or  deranged ;  were  it  changed  into  a  differ¬ 
ent  form,  or  placed  in  a  different  position ;  were 
even  a  single  muscle  to  lose  its  capacity  of  acting, 
we  might  be  for  ever  deprived  of  all  the  enchanting 
prospects  of  the  earth  and  heavens,  and  enveloped  in 
the  darkness  of  eternal  night.  Such  is  the  skill  and 
intelligence  requisite  for  accomplishing,  even  in  a 
single  organ,  the  purposes  of  Divine  benevolence. 

Again,  Before  we  could  enjoy  the  harmony  of 
sounds,  the  charms  of  music,  and  the  pleasures  of 
conversation,  an  instrument  no  less  wonderful  than 
the  eye  required  to  be  constructed.  In  the  ear , 
which  is  the  organ  of  hearing,  it  was  requisite  that 
there  should  be  an  outward  porch  for  collecting  the 
vibrations  of  the  air,  constructed,  not  of  fleshy  sub¬ 
stances,  which  might  fall  down  upon  the  orifice,  or 
absorb  the  sounds,  nor  of  solid  bones,  which  would 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


61 


occasion  pain  and  inconvenience  when  we  repose  our¬ 
selves — but  composed  of  a  cartilaginous  substance, 
covered  with  a  smooth  membrane,  endowed  with 
elasticity,  and  bent  into  a  variety  of  circular  folds,  or 
hollows,  for  the  reflection  of  sound.  It  was  farther 
requisite,  that  there  should  be  a  tube,  or  passage, 
composed  partly  of  cartilage,  and  partly  of  bone, 
lined  with  a  skin  or  membrane,  and  moistened  with 
a  glutinous  matter,  to  form  a  communication  with 
the  internal  machinery  of  this  organ,  where  the  prin¬ 
cipal  wonders  of  hearing  are  performed.  This  ma¬ 
chinery  consists,  first,  of  the  tympanum ,  or  drum  of 
the  ear,  which  consists  of  a  dry,  thin,  and  round 
membrane,  stretched  upon  a  bony  ring,  so  as  actu¬ 
ally  to  resemble  the  instrument  we  call  a  drum.  Un¬ 
der  this  membrane  is  a  small  nerve,  or  string,  stretched 
tight,  for  the  purpose  of  stretching  or  relaxing  the 
drum,  and  increasing  or  diminishing  its  vibrations, 
so  as  to  render  it  capable  of  reflecting  every  possible 
tone.  Behind  it  is  a  cavity,  hewn  out  of  the  tem¬ 
poral  bone,  the  hardest  one  in  the  body,  in  which 
there  seems  to  be  an  echo,  by  which  the  sound  is  re¬ 
flected  with  the  utmost  precision.  This  cavity  con¬ 
tains  four  very  small,  but  remarkable  bones,  deno¬ 
minated  the  hammer ,  the  anvil,  the  orbicular  hone, 
and  the  stirrup ,  all  connected  together,  and  neces¬ 
sary  for  contributing  to  the  extension  and  vibration  of 
the  tympanum.  In  this  cavity  are  also  formed  va¬ 
rious  windings  or  cavities  filled  with  air;  and,  in 
order  that  the  air  may  be  renewed,  there  is  an  open¬ 
ing  which  communicates  with  the  back  part  of  the 
mouth,  called  the  Eustachian  tube. 

The  next  apparatus  belonging  to  this  curious 


62 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


machine,  is  the  Labyrinth ,  which  is  composed  of 
three  parts,  the  vestibule  or  porch,  three  semicircular 
canals ,  and  the  cochlea.  This  last  is  a  canal,  which 
takes  a  spiral  course,  like  the  shell  of  a  snail,  and  is 
divided  by  a  very  thin  lamina,  or  septum  of  cords, 
which  keeps  decreasing  from  the  base  to  the  top. 
The  air  acting  on  either  side  of  these  diminutive 
cords,  produces  a  motion  nearly  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  sound  of  one  musical  instrument  excites  a 
tremulous  motion  in  the  cords  of  another.  All  these 
tubes  and  winding  canals  may  be  considered  as  so 
many  sounding  galleries,  for  augmenting  the  smallest 
tremours,  and  conveying  their  impressions  to  the 
auditory  nerves,  which  conduct  them  to  the  brain. 
Besides  the  several  parts  now  mentioned,  a  number 
of  arteries,  veins,  lymphatics,  glands,  and  a  variety 
of  other  contrivances,  which  the  human  mind  can 
neither  trace  nor  comprehend,  are  connected  with 
the  mechanism  of  this  admirable  organ. 

All  this  curious  and  complicated  apparatus,  how¬ 
ever,  would  have  been  of  no  avail  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing,  had  not  the  atmosphere  been  formed,  and 
its  particles  endowed  w  ith  a  tremulous  motion.  But 
this  medium  being  prepared,  a  sounding  body  com¬ 
municates  an  undulatory  motion  to  the  air,  as  a  stone 
thrown  into  a  pond  produces  circular  waves  in  the 
water ;  the  air,  thus  put  in  motion,  shakes  the  drum 
of  the  ear;  the  tremours,  thus  excited,  produce  vibra¬ 
tions  in  the  air  within  the  drum ;  this  air  shakes  the 
handle  of  the  hammer;  the  hammer  strikes  the  anvil, 
with  which  it  is  articulated;  the  anvil  transmits  the 
motion  to  the  stirrup,  to  which  its  longer  leg  is  fas¬ 
tened  ;  the  stirrup  transmits  the  motion  it  has  re- 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD.  '  63 

ceived  to  .the  nerves ;  and  the  nerves,  vibrating  like 
the  strings  of  a  violin  or  a  lyre,  and  the  motion  be¬ 
ing  still  farther  augmented  in  the  Labyrinth , — the 
soul,  in  a  manner  altogether  incomprehensible  to  us, 
receives  an  impression  proportioned  to  the  weakness 
or  intensity  of  the  vibration  produced  by  the  sound¬ 
ing  body.  Such  is  the  exquisite  and  complicated 
machinery  which  required  to  be  constructed,  and  pre¬ 
served  in  action  every  moment,  before  we  could  en¬ 
joy  the  benefits  of  sound,  and  the  pleasures  of  arti¬ 
culate  conversation. 

Again,  Before  we  could  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
feeling ,  an  extensive  system  of  organization  required 
to  be  arranged.  A  system  of  nerves,  originating  in 
the  brain  and  spinal  marrow,  and  distributed,  in  num¬ 
berless  minute  ramifications,  through  the  heart,  lungs, 
bowels,  blood-vessels,  hands,  feet,  and  every  other 
part  of  the  body,  was  requisite  to  be  interwoven 
through  the  whole  constitution  of  the  animal  frame, 
before  this  sense,  which  is  the  foundation  of  all  the 
other  sensations,  and  the  source  of  so  many  pleasures, 
could  be  produced.  Wherever  there  are  nerves, 
there  are  also  sensations;  and  wherever  any  parti¬ 
cular  part  of  the  body  requires  to  exert  a  peculiar 
feeling,  there  the  nerves  are  arranged  and  distri¬ 
buted  in  a  peculiar  manner,  to  produce  the  intended 
effect.  And  how  nicely  is  every  thing  arranged  and 
attempered,  in  this  respect,  to  contribute  to  our  com¬ 
fort  !  If  the  points  of  the  fingers  require  to  be  en¬ 
dowed  with  a  more  delicate  sensation  than  several 
other  parts,  they  are  furnished  with  a  corresponding 
number  of  nervous  ramifications ;  if  the  heel  require 
to  be  more  callous,  the  nerves  are  more  sparingly 


64 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


distributed.  If  feeling  were  equally  distributed  over 
the  whole  body,  and  as  acutely  sensible  as  in  the 
membranes  of  the  eye,  our  very  clothes  would  be¬ 
come  galling  and  insupportable,  and  we  should  be 
exposed  to  continual  pain ;  and  if  every  part  were  as 
insensible  as  the  callus  of  the  heel,  the  body  would 
be  benumbed,  the  pleasures  we  derive  from  this 
sense  would  be  destroyed,  and  the  other  organs  of 
sensation  could  not  perform  their  functions  in  the 
manner  in  which  they  now  operate.  So  that  in  this, 
as  well  as  in  all  the  other  sensitive  organs,  infinite 
Wisdom  is  admirably  displayed  in  executing  the  de¬ 
signs  of  Benevolence. 

O 

In  order  that  we  might  derive  enjoyment  from 
the  various  aliments  and  delicious  fruits  which  the 
earth  produces,  a  peculiar  organization,  different  from 
all  the  other  senses,  was  requisite  to  be  devised. 
Before  we  could  relish  the  peculiar  flavour  of  the 
pear,  the  apple,  the  peach,  the  plum,  or  the  grape, 
the  tongue ,  the  principal  organ  of  taste,  required  to 
be  formed,  and  its  surface  covered  with  an  infinite 
number  of  nervous  papillce,  curiously  divaricated 
over  its  surface,  to  receive  and  convey  to  the  soul 
the  impressions  of  every  flavour.  These  nerves  re¬ 
quired  to  be  guarded  with  a  firm  and  proper  tegument 
or  covering,  to  defend  them  from  danger,  and  enable 
them  to  perform  their  functions  so  long  as  life  con¬ 
tinues  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  be  perforated  in 
such  a  manner,  with  a  multitude  of  pores  in  the  pa¬ 
pillary  eminences,  as  to  give  a  free  admission  to  every 
variety  of  taste.  It  was  likewise  necessary,  that 
these  papillary  nerves  should  be  distributed  in  the 
greatest  number  in  those  parts  of  the  organ  to  which 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


65 


the  objects  of  taste  are  most  frequently  applied;  and 
hence  vve  find,  that  they  are  more  numerous  on  the 
upper  than  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  tongue ;  and, 
therefore,  when  we  apply  highly-flavoured  substances 
to  the  under  part,  we  are  not  so  sensible  of  the  taste 
till  we  remove  them  to  the  upper  surface.  A  variety 
of  veins,  arteries,  glands,  tendons,  and  other  parts 
with  which  we  are  unacquainted,  are  also  connected 
with  this  useful  organ.  When  we  consider  how 
frequently  these  delicate  organs  are  used,  during  a 
length  of  years,  it  is  matter  of  admiration  how  well 
they  wear.  While  our  clothes  wear  out  in  the 
course  of  a  year  or  two,  while  the  hairs  of  our  heads 
turn  grey,  and  are  nipt  asunder  at  the  roots,  and 
while  age  shrivels  the  most  beautiful  skin,  these  de¬ 
licate  nervous  papillae  last  longer  than  instruments  of 
iron  or  steel;  for  the  sense  of  taste  is  generally  the 
last  that  decays.  For  the  bestowment  of  this  sense, 
therefore,  and  the  pleasures  it  conveys,  we  have  abun¬ 
dant  reason  to  admire  and  adore  the  Wisdom  and 
Goodness  of  our  Almighty  Creator. 

Finally,  That  we  might  be  regaled  with  the  scent 
of  flowers,  and  the  aromatic  perfumes  of  spring  and 
summer,  and  that  none  of  the  pleasures  of  nature 
might  be  lost,  the  organ  of  smelling  was  constructed 
to  catch  the  invisible  odoriferous  effluvia  which  are 
continually  wafted  through  the  air.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose  it  was  requisite,  that  bones,  nerves,  muscles,  ar¬ 
teries,  veins,  cartilages,  and  membranes,  peculiarly 
adapted  to  produce  this  effect,  should  be  arranged, 
and  placed  in  a  certain  part  of  the  body.  As  the 
bones  of  the  head  are  too  hard  for  this  purpose,  the 
nerves  of  smelling  required  to  have  a  bone  of  a  pe-- 


66 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


culiar  texture,  of  a  spongy  nature,  full  of  little  holes, 
like  a  sieve,  through  which  they  might  transmit  their 
slender  threads  or  branches  to  the  papillous  mem¬ 
brane  which  lines  the  cavities  of  the  bone  and  the 
top  of  the  nostrils.  The  nostrils  required  to  be  car¬ 
tilaginous  and  not  fleshy,  in  order  to  be  kept  open, 
and  to  be  furnished  with  appropriate  muscles  to  dilate 
or  contract  them  as  the  occasion  might  require.  It 
was  likewise  requisite  that  they  should  be  wide  at 
the  bottom,  to  collect  a  large  quantity  of  effluvia,  and 
narrow  at  the  top  where  the  olfactory  nerves  are  con¬ 
densed,  that  the  effluvia  might  act  with  the  greatest 
vigour,  and  convey  the  sensation  to  the  brain.  By 
means  of  these  and  numerous  other  contrivances 
connected  with  this  organ,  we  are  enabled  to  dis¬ 
tinguish  the  qualities  of  our  food,  and  to  regale  our¬ 
selves  on  those  invisible  effluvia  which  are  incessantly 
flying  off  from  the  vegetable  tribes,  and  wafted  in 
every  direction  through  the  atmosphere. 

Of  all  the  senses  with  which  we  are  furnished,  the 
sense  of  smelling  is  that  which  we  are  apt  to  con¬ 
sider  as  of  the  least  importance;  and  some  have  even 
been  ready  to  imagine,  that  our  enjoyments  would 
scarcely  have  been  diminished,  although  its  organs 
had  never  existed.  But  it  is  presumptuous  in  man 
to  hazard  such  an  opinion  in  reference  to  any  of  the 
beneficent  designs  of  the  Creator.  We  know  not 
what  relation  the  minutest  operations,  within  us  or 
around  us,  may  bear  to  the  whole  economy  of  nature, 
or  what  disastrous  effects  might  be  produced,  were  a 
single  pin  of  the  machinery  of  our  bodies  broken  or 
destroyed.  The  exhalations  which  are  at  this  mo¬ 
ment  rising  from  a  putrid  marsh  in  the  centre  of 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


67 


New  Holland,  and  hovering,  in  an  invisible  form, 
over  that  desolate  region,  may  be  forming  those  iden¬ 
tical  clouds,  which,  the  next  month,  shall  water  our 
fields  and  gardens,  and  draw  forth  from  the  flowers 
their  aromatic  perfumes.  The  sense  of  smelling  may 
be  essentially  requisite  to  the  perfection  of  several 
of  the  other  senses ;  as  we  know  that  the  sense  of 
feeling  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  senses  of 
seeing,  hearing,  and  tasting. — Let  us  consider  for  a 
moment  some  of  the  agencies  which  require  to  be 
exerted  when  this  sense  is  exercised  and  gratified. 
Before  we  could  derive  pleasure  from  the  fragrance 
of  a  flower,  it  was  requisite  that  a  system  of  the  finest 
tubes,  filaments,  and  membranes,  should  be  organ¬ 
ized,  endowed  with  powers  of  absorption  and  perspi¬ 
ration,  furnished  with  hundreds  of  vessels  for  convey¬ 
ing  the  sap  through  all  its  parts,  and  perforated  with 
thousands  of  pores  to  give  passage  to  myriads  of  odo¬ 
riferous  particles,  secreted  from  the  internal  juices. 
It  was  also  requisite  that  the  atmosphere  should  be 
formed,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  nourishment  to  the 
plant,  and  for  conveying  its  odoriferous  effluvia  to  the 
olfactory  nerves.  The  rains,  the  dews,  the  principle  of 
heat,  the  revolution  of  the  seasons,  the  succession  of 
day  and  night,  the  principle  of  evaporation,  the  agi¬ 
tation  of  the  air  by  winds,  and  the  solar  light, — all 
combine  their  influence  and  their  agencies  in  pro¬ 
ducing  the  grateful  sensation  we  feel  from  the  smell 
of  a  rose.  So  that  the  sense  of  smelling  is  not  only 
connected  with  the  agency  of  all  the  terrestrial  ele¬ 
ments  around  us,  but  bears  a  relation  to  the  vast 
globe  of  the  sun  himself ;  for  an  energy  exerted  at 
the  distance  of  ninety-five  millions  of  miles,  and  a 


68 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


motion  of  200,000  miles,  every  second,  in  the  par¬ 
ticles  of  light,  are  necessary  to  its  existence  ;  and 
consequently,  it  forms  one  of  the  subordinate  ends 
for  which  that  luminary  was  created  : — and,  being 
related  to  the  sun,  it  may  bear  a  certain  relation  to 
similar  agencies  which  that  central  globe  is  produc¬ 
ing  among  the  inhabitants  of  surrounding  worlds. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  various  senses  of  man, 
as  well  as  the  external  objects  which  contribute  to 
their  gratification,  are  the  results  of  Infinite  Wis¬ 
dom  and  Goodness,  and  calculated  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  sensitive  and  intelligent  beings. 

But,  before  any  one  of  these  senses  could  perform 
its  functions,  it  required  to  be  united  icith  a  most 
wonderful  system  of  organization.  The  heart  re¬ 
quired  to  be  endowed  with  an  immense  degree  of 
muscular  power,  and  to  be  set  in  action  in  the  cen¬ 
tre  of  this  complicated  system — hundreds  of  arteries 
required  to  be  bored,  and  ramified,  and  arranged,  to 
convey  the  blood  to  its  remotest  extremities,  and 
hundreds  of  veins  to  bring  it  back  again  to  its  re¬ 
servoir — thousands  of  lacteal  and  lymphatic  tubes  to 
absorb  nutriment  from  the  food,  and  convey  it  to  the 
circulating  fluid — thousands  of  glands  to  secrete  hu¬ 
mours  that  are  noxious  or  redundant  from  the  mass 
of  blood,  and  emunctories  to  throw  them  off  from 
the  system — hundreds  of  muscles  for  moving  the 
different  members  of  the  body,  and  for  conveying  the 
whole  corporeal  frame  from  place  to  place — hundreds 
of  fine  cords  infinitely  ramified  over  the  whole  body, 
to  convey  sensation  to  all  its  parts — and  thousands  of 
millions  of  perforations  to  be  made  in  the  skin, 
through  which  the  insensible  perspiration  might  con- 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


69 


tinually  flow.  To  support  this  fine  and  delicate 
system  of  vessels,  hundreds  of  bones  of  diversified 
forms  and  different  sizes,  and  connected  together  by 
various  modes  of  articulation,  required  to  be  con¬ 
structed  and  arranged,  and  nicely  adapted  to  their 
peculiar  functions ;  and  hundreds  of  tendons  and 
ligaments,  to  connect  these  bones  with  the  muscles, 
and  with  every  other  part  of  the  animal  frame.  This 
machine  required  to  be  preserved  in  constant  action, 
whether  we  be  sleeping  or  waking,  sitting  or  stand¬ 
ing,  in  motion  or  at  rest.  The  heart  required  to 
give  ninety-six  thousand  strokes  every  twenty-four 
hours,  to  send  off  streams  of  the  vital  fluid  through 
hundreds  of  tubes,  and  to  impel  the  whole  mass  of 
blood  through  every  part  of  the  body  every  four 
minutes.  The  lungs  required  to  be  in  constant  play, 
expanding  and  contracting  their  thousand  vesicles,  at 
least  twenty  times  every  minute,  to  imbibe  the  oxy¬ 
gen  of  the  atmosphere,  and  to  transmit  its  enliven¬ 
ing'  influence  to  the  circulating  fluids — the  stomach 
to  be  dissolving  the  food,  and  preparing  it  for  the 
nourishment  of  the  body — the  liver  and  kidneys  to 
be  drawing  off  their  secretions — the  lacteals  to  be 
extracting  nutritious  particles,  to  be  conveyed,  by 
the  absorbent  vessels,  into  the  mass  of  the  blood — 
and  the  perspiration,  which  might  otherwise  clog  the 
wheels  of  the  whole  machine,  to  be  thrown  off  inces¬ 
santly  through  millions  of  pores.  All  this  curious 
and  delicate  machinery,  constructed  of  the  most  flabby 
substances,  required  to  be  put  in  motion,  and  to  be 
preserved  in  action  every  moment,  before  we  could 
contemplate  the  beauties  of  a  landscape,  be  delighted 
with  the  sounds  of  music,  or  inhale  the  fragrance  of 
a  rose. 


70 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that,  in  the  construction 
and  arrangement  of  these  numerous  and  complicated 
parts  and  functions,  there  is  not  a  single  instance 
that  any  physiologist  can  produce,  in  which  fain  is 
the  object  of  the  contrivance.  Of  all  the  thousands 
of  adaptations  which  Infinite  Wisdom  has  contrived, 
there  is  not  one  but  what  has  for  its  object,  the  com¬ 
munication  of  pleasure  to  the  sentient  being  in  which 
it  is  found. — If  a  number  of  small  muscles  are  con¬ 
nected  with  the  eye,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  render¬ 
ing  that  organ  susceptible  of  a  quick  and  easy  motion 
in  every  direction,  to  meet  every  exigence.  If  the 
arteries  are  furnished  with  numerous  valves,  opening 
only  in  one  direction,  it  is  intended  to  prevent  the 
blood  from  returning  by  a  wrong  course,  and  endan¬ 
gering  the  whole  structure  of  the  animal  machine. 
If  a  joint  is  formed  to  move  only  in  one  direction, 
as  the  joints  of  the  fingers,  it  is  intended  to  prevent 
those  inconveniences  which  would  inevitably  have 
been  felt,  had  it  been  capable  of  moving  in  every 
direction.  If  another  kind  of  joint  is  constructed  so 
as  to  move  in  every  direction,  it  is  intended  to  ena¬ 
ble  us  to  perform,  with  facility,  those  movements 
and  operations  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
either  impossible,  or  have  been  attended  with  the 
greatest  inconvenience  and  pain. — There  are  certain 
parts  connected  with  the  human  frame,  whose  pre¬ 
cise  use  cannot  be  accurately  determined,  but  this  is 
owing  to  our  limited  knowledge  of  the  various  func¬ 
tions  which  are  requisite  to  be  performed  in  this 
complicated  machine.  In  no  instance  whatever  can 
it  be  shown,  that  the  infliction  of  pain  is  the  object 
of  any  one  part  or  function  of  whose  use  we  are  un- 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


71 


certain; — and  it  is  conformable  to  the  dictates  of  the 
soundest  reason  to  conclude,  that,  since  every  part, 
whose  use  we  can  ascertain,  is  adapted  to  communi¬ 
cate  pleasure,  every  other  part,  throughout  every 
branch  of  the  animal  system,  is  calculated  to  produce 
a  similar  effect. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  pain  is  frequently  felt  in 
the  different  members  which  compose  our  corporeal 
system;  but  this  is  not  owing  to  its  original  con¬ 
struction,  but  to  the  derangement  which  its  parts  re¬ 
ceive,  either  from  internal  disease  or  from  external 
violence :  and  such  consequences  are  the  effects, 
either  of  the  folly  of  man,  in  exposing  his  body  to 
danger,  or  in  using  its  members  for  improper  pur¬ 
poses, — or  of  the  physical  changes  which  have  hap¬ 
pened  in  the  system  of  nature  since  man  was  created, 
— or  of  those  depraved  and  immoral  passions  which 
so  frequently  agitate  and  convulse  his  corporeal  frame. 

Let  us  now  endeavour,  if  we  can,  to  sum  up  a  few 
of  the  blessings  which  we  enjoy  from  these  wise 
arrangements  of  our  Beneficent  Creator.  In  our 
bodies  there  are  reckoned  245  bones ,  every  one  of 
them  having  forty  distinct  scopes  or  intentions,  and 
446  muscles  for  the  purpose  of  motion,  each  having 
at  least  ten  several  intentions.  All  these  are  ready 
every  moment  to  perform  their  functions ;  and  every 
breath  we  draw,  whether  we  be  in  motion  or  at  rest, 
asleep  or  awake,  a  hundred  muscles  at  least  are  in 
constant  action.  In  the  act  of  breathing,  we  respire 
at  least  twenty  times  every  minute ;  the  heart  exerts 
its  muscular  force  in  propelling  the  blood  into  the 
arteries  sixty  times  every  minute ;  the  stomach  and 
abdominal  muscles  are  every  moment  in  action,  and 


72 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  curious  little  bones  of  the  ear  are  ever  ready  to 
convey  sensations  of  the  softest  whisper  to  the  brain. 
So  that,  without  an  hyperbole,  or  the  least  extrava¬ 
gance  of  expression,  it  may  truly  and  literally  be 
said,  that  we  enjoy  a  thousand  blessings  every  min¬ 
ute,  and,  consequently,  sixty  thousand  every  hour, 
and  one  million  four  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
every  day.  For,  if  any  one  of  these  numerous  func¬ 
tions  were  to  stop,  or  to  be  interrupted,  pain,  and 
even  death  itself  might  be  induced.  Let  us  ask  the 
man  who  is  gasping  for  breath,  under  an  incurable 
asthma,  or  him  who  is  smarting  under  the  pain  of  a 
toothach,  or  him  who  has  wounded  a  nerve,  an 
artery,  or  a  vein,  or  him  who  has  dislocated  his 
shoulderblade,  if  he  would  not  consider  it  as  a  pecu¬ 
liar  blessing  to  have  the  functions  of  nature  restored 
to  their  original  action  ?  And  if  one  member  out 
of  joint,  or  one  function  out  of  order,  produces  so 
much  pain  and  uneasiness,  how  grateful  ought  we  to 
feel  for  the  thousands  of  blessings  we  enjoy  every 
moment,  while  the  wheels  of  the  animal  machine  are 
moving  on  with  smoothness  and  harmony  !  If  we 
consider  the  number  of  years  during  which  these 
blessings  have  been  continued, — if  wtc  consider  the 
mercies  received  in  childhood,  which  have  been  long 
overlooked  or  forgotten, — if  we  count  the  many 
nights  which  we  have  passed  in  sound  repose,  and 
the  many  days  we  have  enjoyed  without  bodily  pain, 
— if  we  reflect  on  the  numerous  objects  of  sublimity 
and  beauty  with  which  our  eyes  have  been  delighted, 
the  numerous  sounds  which  have  charmed  our  ears 
and  cheered  our  hearts,  and  the  numerous  gratifica¬ 
tions  which  our  other  senses  have  received, — if  we 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


73 


consider  how  often  food  has  been  provided  and  ad¬ 
ministered  for  the  nourishment  of  our  bodies,  and 
from  how  many  visible  and  invisible  dangers  we  have 
been  delivered — and,  if  we  view  these  countless 
blessings  as  proceeding  every  moment  from  Him, 
“  whose  hands  have  made  and  fashioned  us,”  and 
who  breathed  into  our  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,” 
can  we  forbear  to  recognise  our  Almighty  Benefactor 
as  worthy  of  our  supreme  affection  and  our  most 
lively  gratitude  ? 

“  For  me,  when  I  forget  the  darling  theme, — 

Be  my  tongue  mute,  may  fancy  paint  no  more, 

And,  dead  to  joy,  forget  my  heart  to  beat.” 

Under  an  impression  of  the  diversified  agencies  of 
Divine  Wisdom  which  are  incessantly  contributing 
to  our  enjoyment,  and  of  the  vast  profusion  of  our 
Creator’s  beneficence  which  we  behold  around  us, 
and  experience  every  passing  hour,  can  we  forbear 
exclaiming  with  the  enraptured  Poet — 

“  When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God  ! 

My  rising  soul  surveys, 

Transported  with  the  view,  I’m  lost 
In  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 

Through  every  period  of  my  life 
Thy  goodness  I’ll  proclaim  ; 

And,  after  death,  in  distant  worlds, 

Renew  the  glorious  theme. 

Through  all  eternity  to  Thee 
A  joyful  song  I’ll  raise  ; 

For,  oh  !  eternity’s  too  short 
To  utter  all  thy  praise.” 

If,  then,  the  construction  of  our  bodies,  and  the 
terrestrial  scene  in  which  we  are  placed,  present  so 
d.  2.  D 


74 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


many  striking  displays  of  Wisdom  and  Benevolence, 
what  an  astonishing  and  transporting  scene  of  Di¬ 
vine  Benignity  would  burst  upon  the  view,  were  we 
permitted  to  explore  those  more  extensive  provinces 
of  the  empire  of  Omnipotence,  where  physical  and 
moral  evil  have  never  shed  their  baleful  influence,  to 
interrupt  the  happiness  of  intellectual  natures !  Could 
we  soar  beyond  the  regions  of  the  planetary  system; 
could  we  penetrate  into  that  immensity  of  worlds  and 
beings  which  are  scattered  in  magnificent  profusion 
through  the  boundless  fields  of  ether  ;  could  we  draw 
aside  the  veil  which  now  conceals  the  grandeur  and 
beauty  of  their  physical  economy  and  arrangements ; 
could  we  behold  their  inhabitants  arrayed  in  robes  of 
beauty,  with  ecstatic  joy  beaming  from  their  coun¬ 
tenances,  basking  perpetually  in  the  regions  of  bliss, 
united  to  one  another  by  indissoluble  bands  of  love 
and  affection,  without  the  least  apprehension  of  evil, 
or  of  an  interruption  to  their  enjoyments,  and  look¬ 
ing  forward  with  confidence  to  an  interminable  sue- 
cession  of  delighted  existence;  could  we  retrace  the 
history  of  their  Creator’s  dispensations  towards  them 
since  the  first  moment  of  their  existence,  and  the 
peculiar  displays  of  divine  glory  and  benignity  that 
may  occasionally  be  exhibited  to  their  view, — it  is 
more  than  probable,  that  all  the  displays  of  Wisdom 
and  Benevolence  which  we  now  behold,  numerous  as 
they  are,  would  be  thrown  completely  into  the  shade, 
and  that  this  world  would  appear  only  as  a  lazar- 
house,  when  compared  with  the  bright  and  transport¬ 
ing  scenes  of  the  celestial  worlds.  This  we  are  in¬ 
fallibly  led  to  conclude,  in  regard  to  a  certain  class 
of  intelligences  in  the  future  state,  by  the  express 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


75 


declarations  of  Scripture.  For  thus  it  is  written, 
“  Eye  hath  not  seeu,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God 
hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him.”  And  if  re¬ 
novated  men  shall  experience  such  superior  enjoy¬ 
ments  in  the  eternal  world,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  all  those  intelligences,  in  every  region,  who  have 
retained  their  primitive  integrity,  are  at  this  moment 
in  the  possession  of  similar  transporting  enjoyments. 
It  must,  therefore,  have  an  additional  tendency  to 
elevate  our  affections  to  the  Supreme  Intelligence, 
when  we  view  Him  not  only  communicating  happi¬ 
ness  to  the  various  tribes  of  beings  which  people  our 
globe,  but  also  distributing  streams  of  felicity,  in 
boundless  profusion,  among  the  inhabitants  of  un¬ 
numbered  worlds. 

I  shall  conclude  my  illustrations  of  this  topic,  by 
exhibiting  a  few  instances  of  the  Wisdom  and  Good¬ 
ness  of  God  as  delineated  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mer¬ 
cies  are  over  all  his  works.  He  stretched  forth  the 
heavens,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth,  and 
formeth  the  spirit  of  man  within  him.  He  planted 
the  ear,  and  formed  the  eye ;  and  he  breathed  into 
our  nostrils  the  breath  of  life.  In  his  hand  is  the 
soul  of  every  living  thing,  and  the  breath  of  all 
mankind.  With  him  is  wisdom  and  strength,  and 
his  understanding  is  infinite.  He  is  wonderful  in 
counsel,  and  excellent  in  working.  He  hath  estab¬ 
lished  the  world  by  his  wisdom,  and  stretched  out 
the  heavens  by  his  understanding.  O  the  depth  of 
the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  of 
God !  how  unsearchable  are  his  operations,  and  his 

d  2 


76 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ways  past  finding  out !  He  causeth  the  vapours  to 
ascend  from  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  he  bindeth  up 
the  waters  in  his  thick  clouds,  and  the  cloud  is  not 
rent  under  them.  He  hath  compassed  the  waters 
with  bounds,  until  the  day  and  night  come  to  an 
end.  He  visiteth  the  earth  and  watereth  it;  he 
greatly  enricheth  it  with  rivers;  he  prepareth  corn  for 
its  inhabitants ;  he  watereth  the  ridges  thereof  abun¬ 
dantly;  he  settleth  the  furrows  thereof;  he  maketh 
it  soft  with  showers ;  he  blesseth  the  springing  there¬ 
of  ;  he  crowneth  the  year  with  his  goodness,  and  his 
paths  drop  fatness.  The  pastures  are  clothed  with 
flocks,  the  valleys  are  covered  over  with  corn,  and 
the  little  hills  are  encircled  with  joy.# 

£C  He  sendeth  the  springs  into  the  valleys  which 
run  among  the  hills ;  they  give  drink  to  every  beast 
of  the  field.  Beside  these  springs,  the  fowls  of  hea¬ 
ven  have  their  habitation,  which  sing  among  the 
branches.  He  causeth  the  grass  to  grow  for  the 
cattle,  and  herb  for  the  service  of  man;  and  wine 
that  maketh  glad  the  heart  of  man,  and  oil  that 
maketh  his  face  to  shine,  and  bread  that  strengthen- 
eth  his  heart.  He  planted  the  tall  trees  and  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon,  where  the  birds  make  their  nests, 
and  the  storks  their  dwellings.  The  high  hills  are 
a  refuge  for  the  wild  goats,  and  the  rocks  for  the 
conies.  He  appointed  the  moon  for  seasons,  and 
the  sun  to  enlighten  the  world ;  he  makes  darkness 
a  curtain  for  the  night,  till  the  sun  arise,  when  man 
goeth  forth  to  his  work  and  to  his  labour  till  the 

*  In  this,  and  several  other  quotations  from  the  Scriptures,  the 
literal  rendering  from  the  Hebrew  is  substituted  in  place  of  the 
common  translation,  and  the  supplements  are  frequently  omitted. 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD.  77 

evening.  How  manifold  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  ! 
In  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all :  the  earth  is  full 
of  thy  riches ;  so  is  the  great  and  wide  sea,  wherein 
are  things  creeping  innumerable,  both  small  and 
great  beasts.  These  all  wait  upon  thee,  that  thou 
mayest  give  them  their  meat  in  due  season.  Thou 
givest  them — they  gather:  thou  openest  thine  hand 
— they  are  filled  with  good.  Thou  hidest  thy  face 
— they  are  troubled :  thou  sendest  forth  thy  Spirit — 
they  are  created ;  and  thou  renewest  the  face  of  the 
earth.  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  endure  for  ever; 
Jehovah  shall  rejoice  in  all  his  works.  He  is  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth;  he  giveth  to  all,  life,  and 
breath,  and  all  things ;  he  hath  made  of  one  blood 
all  nations  of  men,  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth;  and  hath  determined  the  times  before  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation.  For 
in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being.  I 
will  sing  unto  Jehovah  as  long  as  I  live;  I  will  sing 
praises  to  my  God  while  I  have  my  being ;  I  will 
utter  abundantly  the  memory  of  his  great  goodness, 
and  speak  of  all  his  wondrous  works.” 

The  inspired  writers  rise  to  still  higher  strains 
when  they  celebrate  the  Divine  Goodness  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  our  eternal  salvation. 

“  Praise  ye  Jehovah,  for  Jehovah  is  good;  he 
remembered  us  in  our  low  estate,  for  his  mercy  en- 
dureth  for  ever.  I  will  praise  thee,  O  Lord  my 
God,  with  all  my  heart ,  and  I  will  glorify  thy  name 
for  evermore;  for  great  is  thy  mercy  toward  me, 
and  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  the  lowest 
hell. — God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 


78 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.”  He 
sent  an  angel  from  the  celestial  glory  to  announce 
his  birth  ;  and  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  to 
proclaim,  “  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on 
earth,  and  good-will  to  men.  He  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all — and  shall 
he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ? 
Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  bless¬ 
ings  in  heavenly  things  in  Christ;  in  whom  we 
have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness 
of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace. — Bless 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 
his  holy  name :  who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities, 
who  healeth  all  thy  diseases;  who  redeemeth  thy 
life  from  destruction,  and  crowneth  thee  with  loving- 
kindness  and  tender  mercies.  As  the  heaven  is  high 
above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his  mercy  toward  them 
that  fear  him.  The  mercy  of  Jehovah  is  from  ever¬ 
lasting  to  everlasting  upon  them  that  fear  him  ;  and 
his  righteousness  unto  children’s  children. — Many, 
O  Lord  my  God,  are  thy  wonderful  works  which 
thou  hast  done,  and  thy  thoughts  to  us-ward,  they 
cannot  be  reckoned  up  in  order  unto  thee;  if  I 
would  declare  and  speak  of  them,  they  are  more  than 
can  be  numbered. — I  will  praise  thee,  for  I  am  fear¬ 
fully  and  wonderfully  made :  marvellous  are  thy 
works.  How  precious  are  thy  thoughts  (or  designs) 
towards  me,  O  God  !  how  great  is  the  sum  of  them  ! 
if  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  number 
than  the  sand.” 

Thus  it  appears,  that  both  the  system  of  Nature, 
and  the  system  of  Revelation,  concur  in  exhibiting 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


79 


the  Wisdom  and  Benevolence  of  the  Deity  as  cal¬ 
culated  to  excite  the  highest  degree  of  ardent  affec¬ 
tion  in  the  minds  of  the  whole  intelligent  creation. 
If  an  atom  of  gratitude  is  due  to  an  earthly  bene¬ 
factor,  it  is  impossible  to  set  bounds  to  that  affec¬ 
tion  and  gratitude  which  ought  incessantly  to  rise  in 
our  hearts  towards  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  who 
is  the  “  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  con¬ 
solation.”  And,  therefore,  we  need  not  wonder, 
that  “  holy  men  of  old,”  whose  minds  were  over¬ 
powered  with  this  sacred  emotion,  broke  out  into 
language  which  would  be  deemed  extravagant  by 
the  frigid  moralists  of  the  present  age.  Under  a 
sense  of  the  unbounded  love  and  goodness  of  God, 
the  Psalmist  felt  his  heart  elated,  and  formed  these 
pious  resolutions :  “  Seven  times  a  day  will  I  praise 
thee,  O  Lord !  At  midnight  will  I  rise  to  give 
thanks  to  thee,  because  of  thy  righteous  precepts. 
I  will  rejoice  in  the  way  of  thy  precepts,  as  much  as 
in  all  riches.  The  law  of  thy  mouth  is  better  unto 
me  than  thousands  of  gold  and  silver.  O,  how  love 
I  thy  law !  it  is  my  meditation  all  the  day.  I  will 
speak  of  thy  testimonies  before  kings,  and  will  not 
be  ashamed  of  thy  commandments.  Whom  have  1 
in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth 
that  I  desire  besides  thee.  As  the  hart  panteth 
after  the  brooks  of  water,  so  panteth  my  soul  after 
thee,  O  God  !”  Under  similar  emotions,  the  apostle 
Paul  exclaims,  c<  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death, 
nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers, 
nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  shall  be  able 
to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.” 


80 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  III. 

On  the  Mercy  and  Patience  of  God. 

Another  feature  in  the  divine  character,  which 
is  peculiarly  calculated  to  excite  admiration,  affec¬ 
tion,  and  gratitude,  is  the  Mercy  and  Patience  of 
God. 

Mercy  has  its  source  in  the  Divine  Goodness, 
and  may  be  considered  as  a  particular  modification 
of  the  benevolence  of  the  Deity.  Goodness  is  the 
yenus ,  Mercy  the  species.  The  Goodness  of  God 
extends  to  all  his  creatures,  of  whatever  description 
or  character, — to  the  fowls  of  the  air,  the  fishes  of 
the  sea,  the  microscopic  animalcula,  and  the  most 
wicked  class  of  human  beings,  as  well  as  to  angels, 
archangels,  and  other  superior  intelligences.  Mercy 
can  have  a  reference  only  to  those  who  have  sinned 
against  their  Maker,  and  rendered  themselves  un¬ 
worthy  of  his  favours.  It  consists  in  the  bestow- 
ment  of  blessings  upon  those  who  have  forfeited 
every  claim  to  them,  and  have  rendered  themselves 
obnoxious  to  punishment.  It  cannot  be  exercised 
toward  <{  the  angels  who  have  kept  their  first  estate,” 
or  towards  any  other  class  of  holy  intelligences,  be¬ 
cause  they  do  not  stand  in  need  of  its  exercise. — The 
Patience  or  Forbearance  of  God,  is  that  attribute  of 
his  nature  which  consists  in  his  bearing  long  with 
sinners,  and  refraining  from  inflicting  deserved  pun¬ 
ishment,  notwithstanding  their  impenitence,  and 
long-continued  provocations. 

These  attributes  are  seldom  displayed,  in  our 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


81 


world,  by  one  man,  or  class  of  men,  towards  an¬ 
other.  Instead  of  clemency,  mercy,  and  forbear¬ 
ance,  we  find  in  the  character  of  mankind,  as  deli¬ 
neated  in  the  page  of  history,  the  principle  of  revenge 
operating  more  powerfully  than  almost  any  other 
disposition;  and  therefore,  when  any  striking  in¬ 
stance  of  mercy  and  long-suffering  is  exhibited  in 
human  conduct,  we  are  disposed  to  admire  it  as  an 
extraordinary  moral  phenomenon.  When  we  be¬ 
hold  a  personage  who  is  possessed  of  every  degree  of 
moral  and  physical  power  for  crushing  his  enemies — 
yet  remaining  calm  and  tranquil,  and  forbearing  to 
execute  deserved  punishment,  notwithstanding  re¬ 
peated  insults  and  injuries,  we  are  led  to  admire  such 
qualities,  as  indicating  a  certain  degree  of  greatness 
and  benevolence  of  mind.  On  this  principle,  we 
admire  the  forbearance  of  David  towards  Saul,  his 
bitterest  enemy,  when  he  had  an  opportunity  of  slay¬ 
ing  him  at  the  cave  of  En-gedi;  and  afterwards, 
when  he  was  sleeping  in  a  trench  at  Hachilah; — 
and  at  the  clemency  which  he  exercised  towards 
Shimei,  who  had  cursed  and  insulted  him,  and 
treated  him  most  reproachfully.  On  the  same  prin¬ 
ciple,  we  admire  the  conduct  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
a  man  of  known  courage  and  honour,  towards  a  cer¬ 
tain  rash,  hotheaded  youth.  Being  very  injuriously 
treated  by  this  impertinent  mortal,  who  next  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  challenge  him,  and,  on  his  refusal,  spit  on 
him,  and  that  too  in  public ; — the  knight,  taking  out 
his  handkerchief,  with  great  calmness,  made  him  only 
this  reply :  “  Young  man,  if  I  could  as  easily  wipe 
your  blood  from  my  conscience,  as  I  can  this  injury 

d  3 


82 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


from  my  face,  I  would  this  moment  take  away  your 
life.” 

'  In  order  to  exhibit  the  Mercy  and  Long-suffer¬ 
ing  of  the  Deity  in  their  true  light,  let  us  consider, 
for  a  moment,  some  of  the  leading  features  in  the 
conduct  and  the  character  of  mankind. — Whether 
we  go  back  to  the  remote  ages  of  antiquity,  or  re¬ 
view  the  present  moral  state  of  the  inhabitants  of  our 
globe,  we  shall  find  the  following,  among  many  other 
similar  traits,  in  the  character  of  the  great  mass  of 
this  world’s  population  : — An  utter  forgetfulness  of 
God ,  and  the  prevalence  of  abominable  idolatries. 
Though  an  invisible  and  Omnipotent  energy  may  be 
clearly  perceived  in  that  majestic  machinery  by  which 
the  vault  of  heaven  appears  to  be  whirled  round  our 
globe  from  day  to  day;  and  though  every  returning 
season  proclaims  the  exuberant  Goodness  of  that 
Being  who  arranged  our  terrestrial  habitation, — yet, 
of  the  great  majority  of  human  beings  that  have 
hitherto  existed,  or  now  exist,  it  may  with  truth  be 
said,  that  “  God  is  not  in  all  their  thoughts,  and  the 
fear  of  God  is  not  before  their  eyes.”  And  how 
grovelling  have  been  the  conceptions  of  those  who 
have  professed  to  offer  up  their  adorations  to  a  supe¬ 
rior  Intelligence  !  They  have  changed  the  glory  of 
the  incorruptible  God,  into  an  image  made  like  to 
corruptible  man,  and  have  invested  with  the  attributes 
of  Divinity,  a  block  of  marble,  the  stock  of  a  tree, 
a  stupid  ox,  and  a  crawling  reptile ;  to  which  they 
have  paid  that  worship  and  homage  which  were  due 
to  the  Almighty  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth. 

Blasphemy  and  impiety  is  another  characteristic  of 
the  majority  of  our  species.  How  many  have  there 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


83 


been  of  our  wretched  race  in  all  ages,  and  how  many 
are  there  in  the  present  age,  who  “  set  their  mouths 
against  the  heavens  in  their  blasphemous  talk,”  and 
“  dare  defy  the  Omnipotent  to  arms  !”  They  say 
to  God,  “  Depart  from  us,  for  we  desire  not  the 
knowledge  of  thy  ways :  What  is  the  Almighty, 
that  we  should  serve  him?  and  what  profit  should 
we  have,  if  we  pray  unto  him  ?”  While  his  hand 
is  making  their  pulse  to  beat,  and  their  lungs  to 
play,  and  while  he  is  distributing  to  them  corn,  and 
wine,  and  fruits  in  rich  abundance,  they  are  blas¬ 
pheming  his  adorable  Majesty,  and  prostituting  these 
very  blessings  for  the  purpose  of  pouring  dishonour 
on  his  name. 

The  diabolical  joassions  which  men  have  dis¬ 
played  towards  one  another,  is  another  striking  trait 
in  their  character.  War  has  been  their  employ¬ 
ment  and  their  delight  in  every  age.  Thousands 
of  rational  beings  of  the  same  species  have  set  them¬ 
selves  in  array  against  thousands,  and  have  levelled 
at  each  other  spears,  and  arrows,  and  darts,  and 
musquetry,  and  cannon,  and  every  other  instrument 
of  destruction,  till  legs,  and  arms,  and  skulls,  and 
brains,  were  mingled  with  the  dust — till  the  earth 
was  drenched  with  human  gore — till  cities,  towns, 
and  villages,  were  tumbled  into  ruins,  or  given  up  as 
a  prey  to  the  devouring  flames — and  till  the  boun¬ 
ties  of  Providence,  which  God  had  provided  for  man 
and  beast,  were  destroyed,  and  trampled  down  as  the 
mire  of  the  streets.  And  what  adds  to  the  enor¬ 
mity  of  such  dreadful  passions,  they  have  often  had 
the  effrontery  to  implore  the  assistance  of  the  God  of 
mercy  in  this  work  of  horror  and  dest  ruction.  When, 


84 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  all  these  abominable  dispositions  and  practices, 
we  add  the  numerous  other  acts  of  atrocity  that  are 
daily  committed  in  every  quarter  of  the  world, — the 
oppression  and  injustice  which  the  poor,  the  widow, 
and  the  fatherless,  have  suffered  from  the  overwhelm¬ 
ing  hand  of  Power;  the  persecutions  which  Tyranny 
has  inflicted  on  the  select  few,  who  have  raised  their 
voices  against  such  abominations ;  the  falsehood, 
treachery,  and  perjury,  which  are  rampant  in  every 
land ;  the  lewd  and  unnatural  crimes  that  are  daily 
committed ;  the  thefts,  murders,  and  assassinations 
that  are  incessantly  perpetrating  in  some  one  region 
of  the  world  or  another;  the  pride  and  arrogance 
which  so  many  of  the  puny  sons  of  men  assume ; 
the  murmurings  and  complainings  at  the  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  Providence,  and  the  base  ingratitude  with 
which  the  majority  of  mankind  receive  the  bounties 
of  Heaven ; — and  when  we  consider,  for  how  many 
thousands  of  years  these  abominable  dispositions  have 
been  displayed,  we  have  reason  to  wonder  that  con¬ 
dign  punishment  is  not  speedily  executed,  and  that 
the  Almighty  does  not  interpose  his  Omnipotence,  to 
shatter  this  globe  to  atoms,  and  to  bury  its  inhabi¬ 
tants  in  the  gulf  of  everlasting  oblivion. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  these  depraved  and  ungrate¬ 
ful  dispositions;  notwithstanding  that  this  spacious 
world,  which  was  erected  for  a  temple  to  the  Deity, 
has  been  turned  into  a  temple  of  idols,  its  seas  and 
rivers  stained,  and  its  fields  drenched  with  the  blood 
of  millions  of  human  beings,  and  its  cities  transformed 
into  a  sink  of  moral  pollution ;  in  spite  of  all  these 
innumerable  and  aggravated  provocations,  the  God 
of  heaven  still  exercises  his  Mercy  and  Forbearance. 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


85 


He  impels  the  earth  in  its  annual  and  diurnal  course, 
to  bring  about  the  interchanges  of  day  and  night, 
and  the  vicissitudes  of  the  seasons;  he  makes  his  sun 
to  arise  on  the  world,  to  cheer  the  nations  with  his 
light  and  heat ;  he  sends  his  rains,  to  refresh  the 
fields,  both  of  “  the  just  and  of  the  unjust he 
causes  the  trees,  herbs,  and  flowers,  to  bud  and 
blossom  every  returning  spring ;  he  ripens  the  fields 
in  harvest;  he  crowns  the  year  with  his  bounty,  and 
encircles  the  little  hills  with  rejocing.  Instead  of 
“  sending  forth  his  mighty  winds,”  in  incessant 
storms  and  hurricanes,  to  tear  up  whole  forests  by 
their  roots,  and  to  lay  waste  the  productions  of  the 
soil,  he  fans  the  groves  and  the  lawns  with  gentle 
breezes  and  odoriferous  gales.  Instead  of  opening 
the  cataracts  of  heaven,  and  dashing  down  over¬ 
whelming  torrents,  to  deluge  the  plains,  and  frus¬ 
trate  the  hopes  of  man,  he  refreshes  the  parched 
ground  with  gentle  showers,  as  if  they  proceeded 
from  a  watering-pot.  Instead  of  confining  our  sen¬ 
sitive  enjoyments  to  bread  and  water,  as  if  we  were 
the  tenants  of  a  jail,  he  strews  our  gardens  and  fields 
with  every  variety  of  luxuriant  delicacies,  to  gratify 
every  appetite.  Instead  of  directing  the  lightnings 
to  set  on  fire  the  mountains,  and  to  level  our  cities 
to  the  ground,  and  the  thunders  to  roll  incessantly 
around  us,  he  commands  this  terrific  meteor  to  visit 
us  only  at  distant  intervals,  and  in  its  gentler  opera¬ 
tions,  just  to  remind  us  what  tremendous  instruments 
of  destruction  he  is  capable  of  wielding,  and  that  we 
ought  to  “  be  still  and  know  that  He  is  God,”  and 
that  “  he  has  punished  us  less  than  our  iniquities 
deserve.”  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for 


86 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


his  Mercy,  and  for  his  Long-suffering  towards  the 
children  of  men  ! 

This  character  of  God  is  peculiar  to  himself,  and 
cannot  be  supposed  to  belong,  unless  in  a  very  infe¬ 
rior  degree,  to  any  created  intelligence.  Were  the 
meekest  man  that  ever  appeared  on  the  theatre  of 
our  world — or  were  even  one  of  the  highest  intelli¬ 
gences  in  heaven,  to  be  invested  with  a  portion  of  the 
attribute  of  omniscience;  could  he  penetrate,  at  one 
glance,  over  all  that  hemisphere  of  our  globe  on  which 
the  sun  shines,  and,  at  the  next  glance,  survey  the 
other  hemisphere  which  is  enveloped  in  darkness ; 
could  his  eye  pierce  into  the  secret  chambers  of  every 
habitation  of  human  beings,  in  every  city,  and  town, 
and  village,  and  especially  into  those  haunts  where 
crimes  are  veiled  by  the  shades  of  night  from  every 
human  eye;  could  he  behold  at  one  glance  all  the 
abominations  that  are  hourly  perpetrating  in  every 
region  of  the  world — the  Pagan  worshippers  in  Tibet 
and  Hindostan,  performing  their  cruel  and  execrable 
rites — the  wheels  of  Juggernaut  crushing  to  death 
its  wretched  devotees — the  human  victims  which  are 
tortured  and  sacrificed,  to  gratify  the  ferocity  of  some 
barbarous  chief — the  savage  hordes  of  New  Zealand, 
feasting  on  the  flesh  of  their  fellow-men,  whom  they 
have  cruelly  butchered,  and  drinking  their  blood  out 
of  human  skulls — the  Indians  of  Amercia  tearing 
with  pincers  the  flesh  of  their  prisoners,  and  enjoy¬ 
ing  a  diabolical  pleasure  in  beholding  their  torments 
— the  haughty  Inquisitors  of  Spain  insulting  their 
devoted  victims,  in  the  name  of  the  merciful  Savi¬ 
our,  and  preparing  tortures,  and  stakes,  and  flames, 
for  their  destruction — the  assassin  plunging  his  dag- 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


87 


ger  into  his  neighbour’s  bosom — the  midnight  robber 
entering  into  the  abode  of  honest  industry,  strang¬ 
ling  its  inmates,  and  carrying  off  their  treasures — 
the  kidnapper  tearing  the  poor  African  from  his 
wife,  and  children,  and  native  land — the  unfeeling 
planter  and  overseer  lashing  his  degraded  slaves — 
tyrants  and  persecutors  dragging  “  the  excellent  ones 
of  the  earth”  to  prisons,  dungeons,  and  gibbets — 
the  malevolent  and  envious  man  devising  schemes 
for  the  ruin  and  destruction  of  his  neighbour — the 
mutinous  crew,  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean,  rising  up 
against  their  superiors,  slashing  them  with  their 
sabres,  and  plunging  their  bodies  into  the  deep — the 
gamester  ruining  a  whole  family  by  a  throw  of  the 
dice — the  sceptic  sporting  with  the  most  sacred 
truths — the  atheist  attempting  to  defy  the  Omnipo¬ 
tent — the  prostitute  wallowing  in  the  mire  of  un¬ 
cleanness — the  drunkard  blaspheming  the  God  of 
heaven  in  his  midnight  revels — numerous  tribes  of 
human  beings,  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  dash¬ 
ing  out  each  other’s  brains  in  mutual  combat — hypo¬ 
critical  professors  of  religion  harbouring  malice  and 
revenge  against  their  brethren — and  thousands  of 
other  iniquitous  scenes  which  are  daily  presented  be¬ 
fore  the  pure  eyes  of  Omniscience :  could  he  behold 
all  the  abominable  acts  of  this  description  which  are 
perpetrated  on  the  surface  of  our  globe,  in  the  course 
of  a  single  day ,  and  were  the  elements  of  nature  un¬ 
der  his  control,  for  executing  condign  punishment  on 
transgressors, — it  is  more  than  probable,  that,  be¬ 
fore  another  day  dawned  upon  the  world,  the  great 
globe  we  inhabit  would  be  shattered  to  its  centre, 
and  enveloped  in  devouring  flames.  For  no  finite 


88 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


intelligence  could  refrain  his  indignation  for  a  length 
of  years,  or  could  penetrate  into  all  the  reasons, 
why  “sentence  against  an  evil  work  should  not  be 
speedily  executed;”  why  the  murderer  should  not 
be  arrested  by  death  before  his  hand  is  lifted  up  to 
strike ;  why  the  tyrant  should  not  be  cut  off  before 
his  victims  are  secured  ;  and  why  the  slave  should 
be  doomed  to  drag  out  so  many  long  years  under  the 
rod  of  a  relentless  master.  But  God  beholds  all 
these  actions  in  all  their  bearings  and  relations  to 
the  plan  of  his  government,  and  in  all  their  eternal 
consequences ;  and,  beholding  them,  he  <c  keeps 
silence,”  and  refrains  from  executing  immediate  and 
deserved  punishment. 

This  part  of  the  divine  character,  when  seriously 
considered,  is  calculated  to  excite  strong  emotions  of 
admiration  and  wonder ;  and  these  emotions  must  be 
raised  to  their  highest  pitch,  when  we  consider  the 
many  instruments  of  vengeance  which  are  every 
moment  wielded  by  the  hand  of  the  Almighty.  If 
forbearance  were  owing  to  impotence ,  or  a  want  of 
means  for  the  infliction  of  retributive  justice,  our 
admiration  would  cease.  But  all  the  elements  of 
nature  are  under  the  immediate  control  of  the  Gover¬ 
nor  of  the  universe ;  and,  in  a  thousand  modes  in¬ 
comprehensible  by  us,  He  could  make  them  the  in¬ 
struments  of  his  vengeance  to  chastise  a  guilty  world. 
“  For  in  his  hand  is  the  soul  of  every  living  thing, 
and  the  breath  of  all  mankind.”  Let  us  consider, 
for  a  little,  some  of  those  agents  which  lie  within  the 
sphere  of  our  knowledge  in  the  system  of  nature. 

Of  all  the  elements  of  nature  there  is  none  more 
delightful  and  beautiful  in  its  effects  than  light. 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD, 


89 


**  Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is 
for  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun.”  It  diffuses  a  thou¬ 
sand  shades  of  colouring  over  the  hills,  the  vales,  the 
rivers,  and  the  boundless  deep,  and  opens  to  our  view 
the  glorious  host  of  heaven.  Yet  this  delightful 
visitant,  by  a  slight  modification  from  the  hand  of 
Omnipotence,  is  capable  of  being  transformed  into 
the  most  tremendous  and  destructive  element  in  na¬ 
ture.  Light  flies  from  the  sun  at  the  rate  of  200,000 
miles  in  a  second  of  time ;  and  it  is  owing  to  its  par¬ 
ticles  being  almost  infinitely  small,  that  we  feel  no 
inconvenience  from  their  rapid  velocity.  But  were 
the  Creator  to  condense  several  millions  of  these  par¬ 
ticles  into  one,  or  impel  them  with  a  still  greater 
velocity,  the  solid  crust  of  our  globe  would  be  per¬ 
forated  and  shattered  in  every  point  by  this  celestial 
artillery,  and  its  inhabitants  would  soon  be  battered 
to  atoms. 

Again,  the  atmosphere  which  surrounds  us,  and  in 
which  we  live  and  breathe ;  which  contains  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  life ;  which  fans  us  with  its  gentle  gales,  and 
wafts  to  our  ears  the  harmonies  of  music — is  capable 
of  being  converted  into  an  instrument  of  terror  and 
destruction.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  two  different 
ingredients;  one  of  these  is  the  principle  of  flame, — 
and  if  the  other  ingredient  were  extracted  from  the 
atmosphere,  and  this  principle  left  to  exert  its  native 
energy  without  control,  instantly  the  forests  would 
be  in  a  blaze;  the  hardest  metals,  and  the  most  solid 
rocks,  would  melt  like  wax ;  the  waters  of  the  ocean 
would  add  fuel  to  the  raging  element ;  and,  in  a  few 
minutes,  the  whole  expanse  of  our  globe  would  be 
enveloped  in  one  devouring  flame. 


90 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Again,  the  globe  on  which  we  reside  is  whirling 
round  its  axis  every  twenty-four  hours,  and  is  carried 
round  the  sun  with  a  still  greater  velocity.  Should 
that  almighty  arm  which  first  impelled  it  in  its  ca¬ 
reer,  cause  these  motions  suddenly  to  stop,  mountains 
would  be  tumbled  into  the  sea,  forests  torn  up  by 
the  roots,  cities  overthrown  and  demolished,  all  na¬ 
ture  would  be  thrown  into  confusion,  and  terror  and 
destruction  would  overwhelm  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world.  Not  only  the  stopping  of  the  earth’s  mo¬ 
tions,  but  even  a  new  direction  given  to  its  axis  of 
rotation,  would  be  productive  of  the  most  fatal  effects. 
The  earth’s  axis  at  present  is  directed  to  certain  points 
of  the  heavens,  from  which  it  never  deviates  but  in  a 
very  small  degree ;  but  were  the  hand  of  Omnipo¬ 
tence  to  bend  it  so  as  to  make  it  point  in  a  different 
direction,  the  ocean  would  abandon  its  present  bed, 
and  overflow  the  land;  and  a  second  universal  deluge 
would  overwhelm  all  the  monuments  of  human  gran¬ 
deur,  and  sweep  the  earth’s  inhabitants  into  a  watery 
grave. 

Again,  not  only  the  elements  which  immediately 
surround  us,  but  even  celestial  bodies  which  are  just 
now  invisible  to  our  sight,  and  removed  to  the  dis¬ 
tance  of  a  thousand  millions  of  miles,  might  be  em¬ 
ployed  as  ministers  of  vengeance.  There  are  at  least 
a  hundred  comets  connected  with  the  solar  system, 
which  are  moving  in  all  directions,  and  crossing  the 
orbits  of  the  earth  and  the  other  planets.  Were  the 
orbit  of  one  of  these  bodies,  in  its  approach  to  the 
sun,  to  be  bent  in  a  direction  to  that  of  the  earth,  the 
most  alarming  phenomena  would  be  exhibited  in  the 
heavens.  A  ruddy  globe,  larger  in  appearance  than 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


91 


the  moon,  would  first  announce  terror  to  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  earth — every  day  this  terrific  object 
would  increase  in  size,  till  it  appeared  to  fill  the  ce¬ 
lestial  hemisphere  with  its  tremendous  disk; — the 
light  of  the  sun  would  be  eclipsed — the  stars  would 
disappear — the  ocean  would  be  thrown  into  violent 
agitation,  and  toss  its  billows  to  the  clouds — the 
earth  would  “  reel  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard” — and 
universal  alarm  and  confusion  would  seize  upon  all  the 
tribes  of  the  living  world.  At  length  this  tremen¬ 
dous  orb  would  approach  with  accelerated  velocity, 
and,  striking  the  earth  with  a  crash ,  as  if  heaven 
and  earth  had  burst  asunder,  would  shiver  the  globe 
into  fragments,  and  for  ever  exterminate  the  race  of 
man. 

It  will  at  once  be  admitted,  by  every  one  who 
acknowledges  the  incessant  agency  of  a  Supreme 
Being  in  the  movements  of  the  universe,  that  any 
one,  or  all  of  these  effects  combined,  are  within  the 
compass  of  Omnipotence ;  and  not  only  so,  but  they 
might  all  be  accomplished,  with  terrific  energy,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  moments.  If  puny  man,  by  his 
mechanical  dexterity,  can  suddenly  stop  a  stupendous 
machine  which  he  has  put  in  motion — if  he  can  impel 
red  hot  balls  at  the  rate  of  500  miles  an  hour — if 
he  can  extract  the  oxygen  from  a  small  portion  of 
the  atmosphere,  and  cause  it  to  set  on  fire  the  hardest 
metallic  substances — we  cannot  doubt  for  a  moment, 
that,  with  infinitely  greater  ease,  the  Almighty  could 
stop  the  earth  in  its  career,  separate  the  component 
parts  of  the  atmosphere,  set  on  fire  the  foundations 
of  the  mountains,  or  impel  the  blazing  comet  towards 
the  earth,  to  crush  it  to  atoms.  That  God  has 


92 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


been  a  constant  spectator  of  the  wickedness  of  man 
for  four  thousand  years ;  that  he  has,  during  all  that 
period,  wielded  in  his  hands  so  many  terrific  ministers 
of  vengeance;  and  that  he  has  hitherto  refrained 
from  executing  deserved  punishment  on  the  workers 
of  iniquity — is,  therefore,  a  striking  evidence  that 
his  mercy  is  infinite,  and  that  he  is  “  long-suffering 
and  slow  to  anger,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish, 
but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance.” 

It  would,  however,  be  a  most  unwarrantable  con¬ 
clusion,  from  this  circumstance  to  imagine,  that  God 
beholds  with  indifference  the  scenes  of  iniquity  that 
are  hourly  presented  before  him.  In  order  to  show 
that  he  is  not  an  unconcerned  spectator  of  the  ways 
of  men,  and  that  the  instruments  of  punishment  are 
always  in  his  hand,  he  sometimes  “  cometh  out  of 
his  place  to  punish  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  for 
their  iniquity,”  and  displays  the  holiness  of  his  na¬ 
ture  by  “  terrible  things  in  righteousness.”  In  such 
visitations,  <£  his  wav  is  in  the  whirlwind  and  the 
storm  ;  clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  him  ;  a 
fire  goeth  before  him,  and  burneth  up  his  enemies 
round  about;  the  stormy  winds  are  his  messengers, 
and  flames  of  fire  his  ministers ;  the  clouds  pour  out 
their  waters ;  the  sky  sends  forth  a  sound ;  the  voice 
of  his  thunder  is  in  the  heavens ;  his  lightnings  en¬ 
lighten  the  world;  the  earth  quakes,  and  the  people 
tremble.”  The  hurricane ,  which  tears  up  whole 
forests  by  the  roots,  and  tosses  them  about  as  stub¬ 
ble,  which  levels  the  loftiest  spires  with  the  ground, 
and  dashes  the  stateliest  ships  against  each  other, 
till  they  are  broken  into  shivers,  and  plunged  into 
the  deep :  the  lightnings,  which  fill  the  atmosphere 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


93 


with  their  blaze,  which  shatter  the  strongest  build¬ 
ings,  and  strike  whole  herds  of  cattle  into  a  lifeless 
group :  the  pestilence ,  “  which  walketh  in  darkness,” 
and  cuts  off  thousands  of  its  victims  in  a  day :  the 
volcano ,  belching  forth  rivers  of  fire,  causing  sur¬ 
rounding  cities  to  tremble,  and  sending  forth  its  bel- 
lowings  over  a  circuit  of  a  thousand  miles ; — these, 
and  many  other  agents  which  are  in  operation  in  the 
system  of  nature,  are  experimental  proofs  of  the 
dreadful  energy  of  those  ministers  of  destruction, 
which  are  constantly  under  the  superintendence  of  the 
Almighty,  and  of  his  occasionally  using  them  for  the 
purpose  of  chastising  the  nations  for  their  iniquities. 

In  particular,  the  earthquake  is  one  of  the  most 
terrible  and  destructive  instruments  of  vengeance. 
In  the  year  1755,  the  shock  of  an  earthquake  was 
felt  at  Lisbon,  which  levelled  to  the  ground  more 
than  the  half  of  that  populous  city,  and  buried  fifty 
thousand  of  its  inhabitants  in  the  ruins.  This  shock 
extended  its  influence  over  a  space  of  four  millions 
of  square  miles ;  and  therefore  it  is  easy  to  conceive, 
that  had  a  little  greater  impulse  been  given  to  the 
physical  agents  which  produced  this  terrible  effect, 
the  solid  globe  on  which  we  stand  might  have  been 
convulsed  to  its  centre,  and  all  its  inhabitants  crushed 
to  death  amidst  the  universal  ruin. 

We  have  also  an  experimental  proof,  that  there 
are  physical  principles  in  the  constitution  of  our  globe 
sufficient  to  give  it  a  shock  throughout  every  part  of 
its  solid  mass,  and  that  such  a  shock,  at  one  period, 
it  actually  received.  When  the  wickedness  of  man 
became  great  upon  the  earth,  when  “  every  imagina¬ 
tion  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  con- 


94 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tinually,”  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken 
up,  the  cataracts  of  heaven  were  opened,  and  the 
whole  solid  crust  of  our  globe  received  such  a  shock 
as  rent  the  mountains  asunder,  and  hurled  them 
into  the  plains ;  the  effects  of  which  are  still  visible 
in  every  Alpine  district,  and  in  the  subterraneous 
caverns  of  the  earth.  Of  all  the  millions  of  the  race 
of  Adam  that  then  existed,  only  eight  individuals, 
after  having  been  tossed  for  seven  months  on  the 
tremendous  billows  of  a  boundless  ocean,  survived  to 
tell  to  their  posterity  the  tidings  of  this  universal 
wreck.  The  dreadful  scenes  of  horror  and  conster¬ 
nation  which  must  have  been  presented  at  this  awful 
crisis ;  the  stupendous  forces  which  must  have  been 
in  operation  in  the  atmosphere  above,  and  in  the 
foundations  of  the  earth  beneath,  and  the  tremen¬ 
dous  clash  of  elemental  war  which  must  have  ensued 
throughout  every  region  of  earth,  air,  and  sea, — it 
is  beyond  the  power  of  the  human  imagination  to 
depict  in  all  their  terrific  grandeur.  But  we  have 
every  reason  to  conclude,  that  the  bottom  of  the 
ocean  was  lifted  up  to  the  level  of  the  loftiest  moun¬ 
tains,  that  disruptions  of  the  mountains  and  of  the 
densest  rocks  ensued,  that  dreadful  explosions  re¬ 
sounded  throughout  the  whole  expanse  of  Nature, 
and  that  the  mighty  waters  hurled  their  billows  with 
resistless  fury  in  every  direction,  rolling  immense 
rocks  and  forests  from  one  continent  to  another,  and 
whirling  the  wrecks  of  different  regions  to  the  oppo¬ 
site  extremities  of  the  globe. 

Were  it  at  any  time  the  intention  of  the  Almighty 
to  inflict  deserved  punishment  on  a  particular  district 
or  class  of  men,  without  deranging  the  whole  struc- 


MERCY  AND  FORBEARANCE  OF  GOD. 


95 


ture  of  our  globe,  we  have  also  an  experimental  proof 
how  easily  this  could  be  effected,  even  without  in¬ 
fringing  the  established  laws  of  nature.  He  has 
only  to  condense  the  powerful  energies  of  the  electri¬ 
cal  fluid  in  a  large  cloud,  and  to  despatch  it  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind,  to  discharge  its  thunderbolts  on 
any  particular  city,  mountain,  or  plain, — and  the 
work  of  destruction  is  instantly  accomplished.  A 
striking  instance  of  this  kind  happened  in  the  year 
1772,  in  the  island  of  Java,  in  the  East  Indies. 
On  the  11th  of  August,  at  the  dead  hour  of  night,  a 
bright  cloud  was  observed  covering  a  mountain  in  the 
district  of  Cheribon,  and  at  the  same  moment  several 
reports  were  heard  like  those  of  a  cannon.  The 
people  who  dwelt  on  the  upper  parts  of  the  mountain 
not  being  able  to  fly  with  sufficient  swiftness,  a  great 
part  of  the  cloud,  about  nine  miles  in  circumference, 
detached  itself  under  them,  and  was  seen  at  a  distance, 
rising  and  falling  like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and 
emitting  globes  of  fire  so  luminous,  that  the  night 
became  as  clear  as  day.  The  effects  of  this  dread¬ 
ful  explosion  were  astonishing.  Every  thing  was 
destroyed  for  twenty  miles  around.  The  houses 
were  demolished;  the  plantations  were  buried  in  the 
earth :  vast  numbers  of  goats,  sheep,  and  horses,  and 
1500  head  of  cattle,  were  destroyed;  and  above  two 
thousand  human  beings  were  in  a  moment  plunged 
into  the  gulf  of  eternity.*  “  With  God  is  terrible 


*  In  this  and  the  other  illustrations  of  this  subject  stated  above, 
I  consider  the  Divine  Being  as  the  grand  agent  in  directing  the 
operations  of  the  elements,  but  without  infringing  those  general 
laws  which  are  found  to  operate  with  undeviating  constancy  in 
the  system  of  the  universe.  To  explore  the  manner  in  which 


96 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Majesty.  Who  can  stand  before  his  indignation? 
who  can  abide  in  the  fierceness  of  his  anger?  The 
mountains  quake  before  him  ;  the  hills  melt,  and  the 
earth  is  burned  at  his  presence.”  <£  Let  all  the 
earth  fear  the  Lord ;  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  stand  in  awe  of  him.” 

Thus  it  appears,  that  God  is  not  an  unconcerned 
spectator  of  the  ways  of  men — that  he  has  every 
moment  at  his  command  the  most  destructive  ele¬ 
ments  of  nature — and  that  we  have  abundant  proofs 
that  these  elements  have  been  occasionally  used  for 
inflicting  condign  punishment  on  the  workers  of  ini¬ 
quity.  Notwithstanding  these  resources  of  vengeance, 
we  find,  by  experience,  that  his  Mercy  is  exercised, 
from  year  to  year,  and  from  century  to  century,  to¬ 
wards  a  world,  the  majority  of  whose  inhabitants  are 


these  genera]  laws  are  directed  to  produce  certain  specific  effects, 
in  reference  to  particular  regions  and  tribes  of  mankind,  must 
obviously  be  beyond  the  limits  of  our  faculties;  unless  we  could 
enter  into  all  the  designs  of  the  Almighty,  when  he  gave  birth  to 
the  universe,  and  arranged  its  elementary  parts ;  and  unless  we 
could  take  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  remotest  tendencies  of 
the  elements  of  nature,  and  the  times  and  circumstances  in  which 
they  shall  produce  a  specific  and  extraordinary  effect.  All  these 
tendencies  and  circumstances  were  before  the  mind  of  the  Eter¬ 
nal  when  he  established  the  plan  of  his  moral  government;  and 
therefore,  whatever  events  may  occur  in  the  physical  system, 
must  be  considered  as  the  accomplishment  of  his  moral  purposes, 
in  reference  to  the  moral  agents  he  has  created. — It  would  be 
presumptuous,  in  so  limited  a  being  as  man,  to  determine  in 
every  case  what  is  the  precise  moral  reason  of  the  extraordinary 
destructive  effects  of  physical  agents.  We  can  only  say  in  gen¬ 
eral,  that  they  are  connected  with  the  sin  and  depravity  of  man. 
But,  at  that  solemn  day  when  the  reasons  of  the  Divine  dispen¬ 
sations  shall  he  laid  open,  it  will  perhaps  be  found  that  such  un¬ 
common  and  alarming  effects  were  the  punishment  of  aggravated 
transgressions,  the  peculiar  malignity  and  tendency  of  which  were 
removed,  in  a  great  measure,  beyond  the  sphere  of  general  obser¬ 
vation. 


JUSTICE  OF  GOD. 


97 

daily  trampling  under  foot  his  sacred  institutions, 
and  his  holy  laws.  The  instances  which  occur,  of 
the  devastations  of  the  hurricane,  the  thunder,  the 
volcano,  the  earthquake,  and  the  pestilence,  are  com¬ 
paratively  few,  and  seem  intended  chiefly  to  arouse 
the  attention  of  thoughtless  and  ungrateful  man  ;  to 
prevent  him  from  running  to  the  extreme  of  wicked¬ 
ness  ;  and  to  convince  him  that  “  the  Most  High 
ruleth  in  the  kingdoms  of  men,”  and  that  “  verily 
there  is  a  God  who  judgeth  in  the  earth.”  Hence 
we  may  perceive  the  striking  emphasis  of  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  inspired  writers :  “  The  Lord  is  slow 
to  anger”  and  yet  “ great  in  power .” 

This  display  of  the  exercise  of  perfect  self-com¬ 
mand  in  the  Divine  mind,  is  therefore  calculated, 
as  well  as  his  wisdom  and  goodness,  to  inspire  us 
with  emotions  of  Reverence,  Admiration,  and  Love. 
“  The  Lord  is  merciful  and  gracious,  slow  to  anger, 
and  plenteous  in  mercy.  As  the  heaven  is  high 
above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his  mercy  toward  them 
that  fear  him.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  for¬ 
get  not  all  his  benefits.” 


SECTION  IV. 

Of  the  Rectitude  of  the  Divine  Character. 

Another  perfection  in  the  character  of  God,  which 
is  calculated  to  inspire  confidence  and  affection,  is  his 
Justice,  or  the  Rectitude  of  his  nature. 

The  Rectitude  of  the  Divine  Being,  in  its  most 
d.  2.  E 


98 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


extensive  sense,  consists  in  doing  that  which,  in  all 
cases,  is  right  upon  the  whole :  or,  in  other  words, 
that  which  will  have  the  greatest  tendency  to  promote 
the  order  and  happiness  of  his  universal  empire.  It 
includes  under  it  the  idea  of  distributive  justice, 
which  consists  in  rewarding  the  good,  and  punish¬ 
ing  the  bad,  according  to  equitable  laws,  calculated 
to  produce  harmony  and  happiness  throughout  the 
whole  intelligent  system.  This  perfection  of  the 
Deity  may  be  considered  as  a  branch  of  his  general 
benevolence ,  which  appears  to  be  the  source  of  all  his 
moral  attributes,  and  the  spring  of  all  his  actions. 
The  display  of  his  natural  and  moral  perfections,  and 
the  general  happiness  of  the  intelligences  which  ex¬ 
ist  throughout  his  immense  and  eternal  empire,  ap¬ 
pear  to  be  the  great  objects  in  view,  in  his  moral 
government  of  the  universe :  and,  in  order  to  secure 
these  objects,  it  is  requisite  that  justice  be  impartially 
administered,  according  to  the  eternal  rules  of  recti¬ 
tude,  and  that  “  every  one  be  rewarded  according  to 
his  works.” 

That  this  attribute  is  possessed  by  the  Divine 
Being,  in  the  highest  degree,  appears  from  the  fol¬ 
lowing  considerations  : — He  exists,  and  has  always 
existed,  completely  independent  of  all  his  creatures ; 
he  is  in  the  actual  possession  of  boundless  felicity, 
which  no  other  being  can  interrupt ;  and  is  conse¬ 
quently  liable  to  no  evil,  nor  diminution  of  enjoy¬ 
ment.  He  is  Omnipotent ,  and  therefore  can  accom¬ 
plish  whatever  he  pleases,  and  can  effectually  prevent 
whatever  might  detract  from  his  happiness,  or  dis¬ 
turb  the  order  of  his  government.  He  has,  there¬ 
fore,  nothing  to  fear  from  any  other  being,  and  can 


JUSTICE  OF  GOD. 


99 


desire  nothing  from  his  creatures  to  increase  his  feli¬ 
city.  Consequently,  no  possible  motive  or  tempta¬ 
tion  can  exist ,  to  induce  him  to  inflict  an  act  of 
injustice  on  any  of  the  intellectual  beings  he  has 
formed.  Injustice  among  men,  proceeds  either  from 
want  of  intelligence  to  discriminate  between  what  is 
right  and  wrong ;  from  want  of  power  to  bring  their 
purposes  into  effect;  from  the  fear  of  some  evil  or 
disadvantage  which  may  arise  from  the  impartial  dis¬ 
tribution  of  justice  ;  from  the  idea  of  some  imaginary 
good  of  which  they  might  be  deprived ;  from  some 
mental  defect  incident  to  the  present  state  of  huma¬ 
nity  ;  from  some  prejudice  against  the  individuals 
towards  whom  justice  ought  to  be  administered;  or 
from  the  indulgence  of  some  cruel  and  depraved  dis¬ 
positions.  But  none  of  these  causes  or  motives  can 
exist  in  the  mind  of  the  All-perfect  Creator.  His 
comprehensive  eye  takes  in,  at  one  glance,  all  the 
circumstances,  even  the  most  minute,  on  which  a 
righteous  decision  depends;  he  is  no  “  respecter  of 
persons;”  he  can  indulge  no  malevolent  dispositions; 
he  can  expect  no  accession  of  enjoyment  from  an  act 
of  injustice  ;  he  has  nothing  to  fear  from  the  execu¬ 
tion  of  his  decisions ;  his  power  is  all-sufficient  to 
bring  them  into  full  effect,  at  the  time,  and  in  the 
manner,  which  is  most  conducive  to  the  happiness  of 
the  universe;  and  his  benevolence,  which  is  displayed 
throughout  all  his  works,  effectually  prevents  him 
from  withholding  good,  or  inflicting  evil  beyond  the 
desert  of  the  subjects  of  his  government. 

This  character  of  the  Deity  is  amply  exhibited 
and  confirmed  in  the  declarations  of  Sacred  Scrip¬ 
ture  ;  wdiere  it  is  asserted,  that  “  He  is  a  God  of 

e  2 


100 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


truth,  and  without  iniquity ;  just  and  right  is  he.” 
“  Thou  art  just,”  says  Nehemiah,  “  in  all  that  is 
brought  upon  us  ;  for  thou  hast  done  right,  but  we 
have  done  wickedly.”  “  Shall  mortal  man  be  more 
just  than  God  ?  Surely  God  will  not  do  wickedly, 
neither  will  the  Almighty  pervert  judgment.  Is  it 
fit  to  say  to  a  king,  Thou  art  wicked,  or  to  princes, 
Ye  are  ungodly  ?  How  much  less  to  Him  who  ac- 
cepteth  not  the  persons  of  princes,  nor  regardeth  the 
rich  more  than  the  poor  ?”  “  The  righteous  Lord 

loveth  righteousness  ;  he  shall  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness ;  he  shall  minister  judgment  to  the 
people  in  uprightness.  Justice  and  judgment  are 
the  foundation  of  his  throne.  The  Lord  our  God 
is  righteous  in  all  his  works  which  he  doth.”  “  I 
am  the  Lord  who  exercise  judgment  and  righteous¬ 
ness  in  the  earth.”  “  God  is  not  unrighteous  to 
forget  your  work  and  labour  of  love  which  ye  have 
showed  towards  his  name.  Great  and  marvellous 
are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  just  and  true 
are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.”  The  equitable 
laws  which  he  has  promulgated  to  his  creatures ; 
the  justice  he  requires  to  be  exercised  by  one  man 
to  another ;  his  promises  of  reward,  and  his  threat- 
enings  of  punishment ;  and  the  impressive  judg¬ 
ments  which  he  has  executed  on  individuals,  on  na¬ 
tions,  and  on  the  world  at  large,  all  bear  testimony 
to  the  existence  of  perfect  rectitude  in  the  Divine 
character. 

But,  although  Scripture  and  Reason  combine  in 
attesting  the  immutable  Justice  of  God,  we  are  un¬ 
able,  in  many  instances,  to  trace  the  display  of  this 
perfection  in  his  dispensations  towards  the  inhabi- 


JUSTICE  OF  GOD. 


101 


tants  of  our  world.  This  is  owing,  in  part,  to  the 
false  maxims  by  which  we  form  a  judgment  of  his 
procedure ;  to  the  limited  views  we  are  obliged  to 
take  of  the  objects  of  his  government;  to  the  want 
of  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  whole  plan  of 
his  dispensations,  and  the  ends  to  be  effected  by 
them  ;  to  the  limited  views  we  have  acquired  of  the 
whole  range  of  his  universal  dominions ;  and  to  our 
ignorance  of  the  relations  which  may  subsist,  be¬ 
tween  our  world  and  the  inhabitants  of  other  pro¬ 
vinces  of  the  Divine  Empire.  We  behold  many 
of  “  the  excellent  of  the  earth  ”  pining  in  the  abodes 
of  poverty,  and  almost  unnoticed  by  their  fellow- 
men  ;  while  we  behold  the  wicked  elevated  to  sta¬ 
tions  of  power,  and  encircled  with  riches  and  splen¬ 
dour.  From  a  false  estimate  of  true  enjoyment, 
we  are  apt  to  imagine,  that  misery  surrounds  the 
one,  and  that  happiness  encircles  the  other ;  and 
that  there  is  an  apparent  act  of  injustice  in  these 
different  allotments ;  whereas,  God  may  have  placed 
the  one  in  the  midst  of  worldly  prosperity  as  a  pun¬ 
ishment  for  his  sins,  and  the  other  in  obscurity  as 
a  stimulus  to  the  exercise  of  virtue.  We  behold  a 
man  of  piety  and  benevolence  falling  before  the  dag¬ 
ger  of  an  assassin  who  escapes  with  impunity :  we 
are  startled  at  the  dispensation,  and  confounded  at 
the  mystery  of  Providence,  and  are  apt  to  exclaim, 
“  Is  there  not  a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth  ?” 
But  we  are  ignorant  of  the  relation  which  such  an 
event  bears  to  the  general  plan  of  the  Divine  Go¬ 
vernment — of  the  links  in  the  chain  of  events  which 
preceded  it,  and  of  those  which  shall  follow  in  its 
train.  We  are  ignorant  of  the  relation  it  bears  to 


102 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


particular  families  and  societies,  or  to  the  nation  at 
large  in  which  it  happened,  and  even  to  all  the  na¬ 
tions  of  the  earth.  An  event  apparently  trivial,  or 
mysterious,  or,  according  to  our  views,  unjust,  may, 
for  aught  we  know,  form  an  essential  link  in  that 
chain  of  events  which  extends  from  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  time  to  its  consummation,  which  runs  through 
a  thousand  worlds,  and  stretches  into  the  depths  of 
eternity.  We  all  know,  that  some  of  the  most  ap¬ 
palling  scenes  of  terror  and  destruction  have  often 
proceeded  from  an  apparently  trivial  accident,  and 
that  events  of  the  greatest  importance  have  originated 
from  causes  so  inconsiderable  as  to  be  almost  over¬ 
looked.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
which  now  engages  the  attention  of  the  whole  mass 
of  the  Christian  world,  and  whose  beneficent  effects 
will  soon  extend  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  world, 
derived  its  origin  from  a  casual  conversation  between 
a  few  obscure  individuals,  on  the  subject  of  distri¬ 
buting  the  Scriptures.  And  the  apparently  trivial 
circumstance,  of  observing  that  a  certain  mineral 
substance,  when  left  free  to  move  itself,  uniformly 
points  towards  the  north,  has  been  the  means,  not 
only  of  the  knowledge  we  have  acquired  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  regions  of  our  globe,  but  of  imparting  to  millions 
of  mankind  incalculable  blessings,  which  will  descend 
to  their  posterity  to  the  latest  generations. 

Hence  it  appears,  that,  in  our  present  circum¬ 
stances,  we  are  altogether  incompetent  to  form  a 
correct  judgment  of  what  is  just  or  unjust  in  the 
present  dispensations  of  the  Almighty,  unless  we 
could  survey,  with  the  eye  of  a  seraph,  the  ample 
plan  of  the  Divine  government, — the  whole  chain 


JUSTICE  OF  GOD. 


103 


of  God’s  dispensations  towards  our  race, — the  nu¬ 
merous  worlds  and  beings  over  which  his  moral 
government  extends, — the  relation  which  the  events 
now  passing  among  us  bear  to  other  moral  intelli¬ 
gences,  either  as  subjects  of  contemplation,  as  warn¬ 
ings  of  the  danger  of  apostacy  from  God,  or  as 
motives  to  universal  subjection  and  obedience, — and 
the  connections,  bearings,  and  dependencies  of  the 
whole  of  that  moral  system  which  embraces  unnum¬ 
bered  worlds,  and  constitutes  one  grand  and  bound¬ 
less  empire,  under  the  government  of  the  Creator. 
Even  then,  with  the  eye  and  the  mind  of  a  finite 
intelligence,  we  should  occasionally  meet  with  events 
which  would  surpass  our  comprehension,  and  be 
altogether  inexplicable,  on  the  grounds  of  the  know¬ 
ledge  we  had  previously  acquired,  and  should  still 
be  constrained  to  exclaim,  (i  O  the  depth  of  the 
riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  of 
God  !  How  unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and 
his  ways  past  finding  out  !” 

But  although  “  clouds  and  darkness”  at  present 
hang  over  the  ways  of  the  Almighty,  so  that  we 
cannot,  in  every  instance,  perceive  the  rectitude  of 
his  procedure,  we  may  rest  satisfied  that  “  Justice 
and  judgment  are  for  ever  the  foundation  of  his 
throne;”  and  we  are  assured,  by  the  Sacred  Oracles, 
that  a  period  is  approaching,  when  the  mystery  of 
Providence  will  be  unfolded,  and  when  all  its  dark 
and  perplexing  events,  in  reference  to  this  world,  will 
be  explained  to  the  full  conviction  of  all  its  assem¬ 
bled  inhabitants.  For  “  God  hath  appointed  a  day 
in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness, 
by  that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained;  whereof  he 


104 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


hath  given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath 
raised  him  from  the  dead.”  Then  “  the  secrets  of 
all  hearts”  shall  be  disclosed,  and  every  man  re¬ 
warded  <s  according  to  his  works ;”  for  i(  God  shall 
bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every  secret 
thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil.” 
Then  it  will  be  clearly  perceived,  that  “  verily  there 
is  a  reward  for  the  righteous,  and  that  there  is  a 
God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth.”  Then  the  recti¬ 
tude  of  Jehovah,  in  every  part  of  his  moral  adminis¬ 
tration,  will  shine  forth  in  all  its  lustre :  a  visible 
and  everlasting  distinction  will  be  made  between  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  the  whole  intelligent 
creation  will  plainly  discern  between  “  him  that 
served  God,  and  him  that  served  him  not.” 

In  the  meantime,  God  has  not  left  himself  with¬ 
out  a  witness  to  the  impartiality  of  his  Justice  in 
his  allotments  towards  men,  in  that  he  has  invari¬ 
ably  connected  misery  with  the  violation  of  his  laws , 
and  happiness  with  the  observance  of  them.  How¬ 
ever  different  the  allotments  of  mankind  may  be,  in 
regard  to  wealth,  honour,  or  station,  it  holds  inva¬ 
riably  true,  that  “  there  is  no  peace,”  or  substan¬ 
tial  happiness,  “  to  the  wicked ;”  and  that  “  the 
man  is  blessed  who  fears  the  Lord,  and  delights  in 
his  commandments.”*  Place  a  man  on  the  highest 
pinnacle  of  earthly  grandeur,  and  let  him  indulge 
in  schemes  of  ambition,  avarice,  pride,  revenge, 
cruelty,  and  other  violations  of  the  divine  law,  and  he 
may  as  soon  attempt  to  stop  the  sun  in  his  course, 
as  to  expect  substantial  enjoyment  while  he  conti- 


*  Psalm  cxii.  1. 


JUSTICE  OF  GOD. 


105 


nues  in  the  indulgence  of  such  malevolent  passions. 
Place  another  in  the  most  obscure  abode  of  hu¬ 
man  life,  and  let  him  exercise  piety,  benevolence, 
humility,  and  every  other  Christian  temper;  and  he 
will  enjoy  a  peace,  an  equanimity,  and  a  portion  of 
happiness,  which  the  wicked  can  never  possess,  and 
which  the  wealth  of  the  world  can  neither  give  nor 
take  away.  Hence  it  is,  that  we  behold  so  many 
instances  of  disgust  at  life,  and  of  self-destruction, 
among  those  who  are  elevated  to  stations  of  power, 
and  surrounded  with  every  kind  of  sensitive  enjoy¬ 
ment. — This  consideration,  of  itself,  should  silence 
every  murmur  that  is  apt  to  arise  at  the  dispensations 
of  God’s  Providence,  and  convince  us  that  “  he  is 
righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his  works.” 

On  the  whole,  then,  it  appears  that  the  justice 
of  God  has  a  tendency  to  inspire  us  with  confidence, 
and  love,  and  joy,  no  less  than  his  mercy  and  bene¬ 
volence.  Were  it  not  for  this  perfection  of  the 
divine  character,  omnipotence  might  become  a  most 
terrific  and  tremendous  attribute  of  the  Deity.  We 
should  have  no  motive  but  that  of  fear  to  stimulate 
us  to  obedience ;  we  should  feel  no  security  against 
danger  and  distress,  and  the  perpetual  recurrence  of 
spectacles  of  vengeance ;  and,  in  the  course  of  ages, 
the  spacious  universe  might  be  transformed  into  an 
immense  region  of  “  lamentation,  and  mourning,  and 
woe.”  Were  it  not  for  this  perfection,  the  benevo¬ 
lence  of  the  Deity  would  degenerate  into  weakness 
and  imbecility.  Wicked  men,  and  other  depraved 
intelligences,  presuming  on  impunity,  and  their  dia¬ 
bolical  passions  acquiring  strength  and  vigour  by 
long  exercise,  would  carry  misery  and  destruction  in 

e  3 


106 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


their  train,  wherever  they  exerted  their  energies  ; 
and  would  interrupt,  and  ultimately  destroy,  the  har¬ 
mony  and  felicity  of  the  intelligent  universe.  But 
while  we  recognise  the  rectitude  of  the  divine  char¬ 
acter  as  an  immutable  attribute  of  Deity,  we  can  look 
forward  with  confidence  through  all  the  revolutions 
of  time,  and  to  those  eternal  scenes  which  shall  suc¬ 
ceed  the  demolition  of  the  present  system  of  things, 
fully  assured,  that  God  is  the  universal  Protector  of 
his  unnumbered  offspring — that  his  power  will  never 
be  interposed  to  inflict  an  act  of  injustice — that  no 
intelligent  being  will  ever  suffer  a  punishment  beyond 
his  desert — and  that  no  happiness  which  his  bene¬ 
volence  has  devised,  and  his  word  has  promised, 
will  ever  be  withheld  from  those  “  who  put  their 
trust  in  his  name,  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of  his 
commandments.” 


Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  show,  that  love  to 
God ,  which  is  the  first  principle  of  the  moral  law,  is 
founded  upon  the  natural  and  moral  perfections  of 
the  Deity — that  the  attributes  of  omnipotence ,  wis¬ 
dom,  goodness ,  mercy ,  forbearance  and  justice ,  are 
calculated  to  excite  this  noble  affection  to  the  high¬ 
est  degree  in  the  minds  of  all  holy  intelligences. 
I  might  also  have  illustrated  this  subject  from  con¬ 
siderations  drawn  from  the  infinity,  the  eternity,  the 
immutability,  the  holiness  and  veracity  of  God. 
But  the  illustrations  already  stated,  will,  I  presume, 
be  sufficient  to  demonstrate,  that  this  affection,  in 
conjunction  with  all  its  kindred  emotions,  ought  to 
occupy  the  highest  place  in  the  human  heart,  and 
in  the  minds  of  all  created  intelligences. 


RELATIONS  OF  GOD  TO  MAN. 


107 


It  may,  perhaps,  be  insinuated  by  some,  that  the 
preceding  illustrations  have  been  carried  to  a  greater 
length  than  the  nature  of  the  subject  required — and 
it  is  readily  admitted,  that  the  mere  logical  argument 
did  not  require  so  extended  illustrations.  Every 
person  who  knows  the  meaning  of  the  terms  made 
use  of,  will  at  once  admit,  that,  since  God  is  a 
Being  possessed  of  almighty  power,  infinite  wisdom, 
boundless  benevolence,  mercy,  forbearance,  and  per¬ 
fect  rectitude — he  ought  to  be  loved  affectionately 
and  supremely.  But  such  general  and  metaphysical 
reasoning,  though  perfectly  conclusive  and  incontro¬ 
vertible,  possesses  but  a  slender  influence  over  the 
mind,  in  exciting  it  to  the  cultivation  of  holy  affec¬ 
tions.  For  the  sake  of  impression ,  it  is  essentially 
requisite,  that  the  various  manifestations  of  Divine 
Perfection  should  be  presented  to  the  view,  in  order 
that  the  mind  may  have  a  tangible  train  of  thought 
before  it,  to  stimulate  its  activities,  and  its  religious 
emotions.  General  views  and  reasonings  on  any 
subject,  and  especially  on  the  subject  of  Religion, 
produce  a  very  slight  impression  on  the  majority  of 
mankind.  It  is  not  owing1  so  much  to  the  want  of 
conviction  of  the  truth  of  certain  important  propo¬ 
sitions  in  Religion,  that  divine  truths  take  so  slen¬ 
der  a  hold  of  the  mind,  as  to  the  want  of  those  defi¬ 
nite  and  impressive  conceptions  which  can  be  ac¬ 
quired  only  by  a  minute  and  attentive  survey  of  the 
works  and  the  dispensations  of  God.  And,  in  this 
point  of  view,  the  preceding  illustrations,  had  the 
limited  nature  of  the  present  work  permitted,  might 
have  been  prosecuted  to  a  much  greater  extent. 

I  might  also  have  illustrated  this  subject  from  a 


108 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


consideration  of  the  Relations  in  which  God  stands 
to  us,  and  to  all  his  creatures. — He  is  our  Creator , 
and  we  are  the  workmanship  of  his  hands.  He 
formed  our  bodies,  and  sustains  our  spirits.  His 
physical  energy  is  felt  by  us  every  moment,  in  mak¬ 
ing  our  hearts  to  beat  and  our  lungs  to  play,  and  in 
impelling  the  crimson  fluid  which  circulates  in  our 
bodies  through  a  thousand  different  tubes.  To 
him  we  are  indebted  for  life,  and  all  its  comforts ; 
and  for  all  the  powers,  capacities,  and  privileges, 
which  dignify  our  nature,  and  exalt  us  above  the 
lower  ranks  of  existence. — He  is  our  Preserver  and 
bountiful  Benefactor ,  who  44  sustains  our  souls  in  life,” 
who  supports  the  course  of  nature  in  its  diversified 
movements,  and  44  daily  loads  us  with  his  benefits.” 
To  his  superintending  Providence  we  are  indebted 
for  the  food  we  eat,  the  water  we  drink,  the  clothes 
we  wear,  the  air  we  breathe,  the  light  which  cheers 
us,  the  splendours  of  the  sun,  the  milder  radiance  of 
the  moon,  the  magnificence  of  the  starry  sky,  the 
rains  and  dews  which  fertilize  the  soil ;  the  earth, 
with  its  riches  and  abundance ;  the  trees,  plants,  and 
waving  grain,  which  enrich  our  fields;  the  flowers 
which  deck  the  meadows,  the  beautiful  and  magnifi¬ 
cent  colouring  which  is  spread  over  the  terrestrial 
landscape,  the  succession  of  day  and  night,  and  the 
vicissitude  of  the  seasons.  In  short,  to  Him  we  are 
indebted  for  all  the  objects  and  movements  around 
us,  which  render  our  abode  on  earth  convenient,  de¬ 
sirable,  and  productive  of  enjoyment. 

He  is  our  Father ,  and  we  are  his  children.  He 
watches  over  us  with  a  tender  care ;  and,  44  as  a 
father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them 


RELATIONS  OF  GOD  TO  MAN. 


109 


that  fear  him.”  This  tender  and  indissoluble  rela¬ 
tion,  binds  us  to  him  by  the  strongest  ties,  and  is 
calculated  to  excite  the  most  ardent  filial  affection 
and  gratitude. —  He  is  our  Sovereign  and  Lawgiver, 
and  we  are  his  subjects ;  and  all  his  laws  are  framed 
on  the  principles  of  eternal  and  immutable  rectitude, 
and  are  calculated  to  promote  the  harmony  and  hap¬ 
piness  of  the  whole  intelligent  creation. — He  is  our 
Master ,  and  we  are  his  servants,  and  his  “  com¬ 
mandments  are  not  grievous.” — He  is  our  Friend 
in  adversity,  our  Protector  in  danger  and  in  dis¬ 
tress;  our  Instructor ,  who  has  imparted  to  us  know¬ 
ledge  and  understanding;  and  our  Redeemer,  who 
“  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for 
us  all,”  that  we  might  be  rescued  from  the  gulf  of 
ruin,  and  exalted  to  a  state  of  consummate  felicity. 
In  fine,  He  is  that  Being  who  is  the  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  light,  of  life,  and  of  joy,  to  all  beings 
— on  whom  depend  all  our  future  prospects  in  this 
world,  and  all  the  transporting  scenes  to  which  we 
look  forward  in  an  interminable  state  of  existence. 
All  these,  and  many  other  relations,  in  which  we  stand 
to  the  God  of  Heaven,  demonstrate,  that  Supreme 
Love  to  this  Beneficent  Being;  is  the  first  and  high- 
est  duty  of  every  rational  creature ;  and  they  present 
the  most  powerful  motives  to  stimulate  us  to  its  ex¬ 
ercise.  But  to  illustrate  these  topics  in  minute  de¬ 
tail,  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  limited  plan  of 
the  present  work ;  and  it  is  the  less  necessary,  as 
several  of  them  have  already  been  brought  into  view- 
in  the  course  of  the  preceding  illustrations. 


110 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  V. 

Modes  in  which  Love  to  God  is  displayed. 

I  shall  now  offer  a  remark  or  two,  on  the  nature 
of  this  sublime  affection,  and  the  manner  in  which 
it  ought  to  be  manifested.  Love  to  God  is  not  a 
single  and  solitary  affection  in  the  human  breast, 
which  evaporates  in  a  few  transient  and  undefined 
emotions;  but  is  the  spring  of  every  holy  activity, 
and  is  intimately  connected  with  every  virtuous  emo¬ 
tion,  with  every  pious  sentiment,  with  every  religious 
requirement,  with  every  sensitive  enjoyment,  with 
our  present  comforts,  and  our  future  and  eternal 
prospects. 

It  includes  in  it,  complacency  or  delight  in  the 
character  and  administration  of  God.  Viewing 
him  as  a  Self-existent  and  Eternal  Being, — filling 
immensity  with  his  presence,  launching  innumerable 
worlds  into  existence,  upholding  them  all  by  the 
(C  Word  of  his  Power,”  and  superintending  the  mi¬ 
nutest  concerns  of  all  his  offspring,  from  the  loftiest 
seraph,  through  all  the  inferior  gradations  of  exist¬ 
ence,  to  the  smallest  animalcula, — the  mind  feels 
the  most  delightful  emotions,  in  regarding  the  hap¬ 
piness  of  the  universe  as  perfectly  secure ,  under  his 
physical  and  moral  administration.  Contemplating 
his  bounty  to  angels  and  to  men,  to  the  birds  of  the 
air,  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  numerous  tribes 
which  traverse  the  surface  of  the  land, — his  mercy 
towards  our  fallen  race, — his  long-suffering  and  for¬ 
bearance  towards  wicked  nations  and  individuals, — 


ADMIRATION  OF  GOD’S  WORKS.  Ill 

his  faithfulness  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  pro¬ 
mises  and  threatenings, — and  the  unerring  rectitude 
of  his  dispensations  towards  all  his  creatures, — the 
mind  feels  supreme  approbation  and  complacency  in 
his  attributes,  purposes,  and  administrations ;  be¬ 
holding  in  his  character  an  excellence  and  amiable¬ 
ness,  a  moral  dignity  and  grandeur,  which  are  not  to 
be  found  in  any  created  intelligence.  Even  in  re¬ 
ference  to  those  acts  of  his  government  which  ap¬ 
pear  dreadful  and  appalling — in  the  volcano,  the 
earthquake,  the  thunders,  the  hurricane,  the  tempest, 
and  the  doom  of  the  impenitent,  its  approbation  and 
complacency  are  not  withheld,  convinced  that  perfect 
rectitude  is  the  rule  of  his  procedure,  and  that  his 
Righteousness  will  one  day  be  brought  to  light  be¬ 
fore  an  assembled  world. 

Love  to  God  includes  admiration  of  his  iconder- 
ful  ivorks.  The  man  whose  affections  are  directed 
to  the  Supreme  Intelligence,  is  not  an  indifferent 
spectator  of  the  manifestations  of  Deity.  He  be¬ 
holds  the  magnificent  canopy  of  heaven  daily  moving 
around  him  in  silent  grandeur ;  his  eye  penetrates 
beyond  the  apparent  aspects  of  the  twinkling  lumi¬ 
naries  which  adorn  it,  and  surveys  the  hand  of  the 
Almighty  wheeling  stupendous  globes  through  the 
immeasurable  regions  of  space,  and  extending  his 
operations  throughout  unnumbered  systems,  dis¬ 
persed  over  the  boundless  expanse  of  the  universe. 
He  beholds  the  great  globe  on  which  he  is  placed, 
impelled  by  the  same  omnipotent  arm,  prosecuting 
its  course  through  the  depths  of  space,  and  circling 
around  the  sun,  to  bring  about  the  revolutions  of 
the  seasons.  He  contemplates  the  vast  ranges  of 


112 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


mountains  that  stretch  around  it — the  mass  of  wa¬ 
ters  in  the  mighty  ocean,  and  its  numerous  tribes  of 
animated  beings — the  “  dry  land,”  with  all  its  fur¬ 
niture  and  inhabitants — the  vast  caverns,  chasms, 
and  shattered  strata  which  appear  in  its  interior  re¬ 
cesses — and  the  atmosphere  with  which  it  is  sur¬ 
rounded,  with  the  clouds,  the  lightnings,  and  the 
tempests,  which  diversify  its  aspect.  He  traces  the 
footsteps  of  the  Almighty  in  his  moral  administration 
— in  the  deluge  which  swept  away  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Antediluvian  world — in  the  burning  of  Sodom, 
the  dividing  of  the  Red  Sea,  the  thunders  and  light¬ 
nings  of  Sinai — the  manifestation  of  the  Son  of 
God  in  human  flesh ;  his  sufferings,  death,  resurrec¬ 
tion,  and  triumphant  ascension — in  the  propagation 
of  the  Gospel  in  the  face  of  every  opposition,  in  the 
rise  and  fall  of  empires,  the  dethronement  of  kings, 
the  battles  of  warriors,  and  the  convulsions  of  na¬ 
tions.  And  while  he  contemplates  such  objects  and 
operations,  his  admiration  is  excited  by  the  incom¬ 
prehensible  knowledge  displayed  in  the  contrivance 
of  the  universe,  the  boundless  benevolence  which 
extends  over  all  these  works,  and  the  omnipotent 
power  by  which  all  the  mighty  movements  of  Crea¬ 
tion  and  Providence  are  effected.  And,  while  he 
admires,  he  is  inspired  with  the  most  profound  rever¬ 
ence  of  that  Being,  whose  mighty  hand  conducts 
those  stupendous  movements,  and  feels  the  full  force 
of  the  impressive  exhortation  of  the  Psalmist,  “  Let 
all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord ;  let  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  world  stand  in  awe  of  him  :  for  he  spake,  and  it 
was  done ;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast.”  Even 
the  abstract  conceptions  we  have  of  the  immensity 


HUMILITY. 


113 


of  the  Divine  Being,  by  which  he  is  present  in  every 
part  of  infinite  space — the  eternity  of  his  duration, 
and  the  range  of  his  omniscience ,  which  embraces  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  thoughts,  purposes,  and 
actions  of  all  creatures — are  calculated  to  everpower 
the  mind  with  emotions  of  reverence  and  awe, 
blended  with  feelings  of  affection  and  delight,  at  the 
recollection  of  the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  this 
glorious  Intelligence. 

Again,  Love  to  God  includes  Humility  and  self- 
abasement  in  the  Divine  Presence.  There  is  no  dis¬ 
position  which  appears  more  incompatible  with  su¬ 
preme  affection  for  the  Creator,  than  pride,  haugh¬ 
tiness,  and  arrogance.  “  God  resisteth  the  proud.” 
Even  “  a  proud  look”  is  declared  to  be  “  an  abomi¬ 
nation”  in  his  sight.  And  if  the  indulgence  of 
pride  be  inconsistent  with  the  love  of  God,  humility 
must  be  regarded  as  one  of  its  essential  and  distin¬ 
guishing  accompaniments.  When  a  man  who  loves 
God  reflects  on  his  condition  and  character — that 
he  is  a  creature  who  derived  his  existence  from  a 
superior  Being,  to  whom  he  is  indebted  for  all  his 
faculties,  and  by  whose  power  and  mercy  he  is  every 
moment  preserved  in  existence;  when  he  considers 
his  station  in  the  universe — that  he  is  only  like  an 
atom  in  the  immensity  of  creation,  when  compared 
with  the  innumerable  beings  which  people  its  wide 
domains — that  he  stands  near  the  lowest  part  of  the 
scale  of  intelligent  existence,  and  that  “  all  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  earth  are  as  grasshoppers”  before 
Him  who  sits  on  the  throne  of  the  heavens;  when 
he  recollects  that  he  has  apostatized  from  the  God 
who  made  him,  that  he  is  guilty  of  innumerable  vio- 


114 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


lations  of  his  righteous  laws,  and  stands  condemned 
at  the  bar  of  Him  “  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to 
behold  iniquity;”  when  he  contemplates  the  circum¬ 
stances  in  which  he  is  now  placed  in  consequence  of 
his  transgressions — the  pains,  diseases,  poverty,  be¬ 
reavements,  and  reproaches  to  which  he  is  subjected; 
the  storms,  and  tempests,  and  elemental  war  to  which 
he  is  exposed ;  the  degradation  which  awaits  his  body 
at  the  hour  of  dissolution  and  in  the  mansions  of  the 
tomb;  and  the  ignorance,  the  errors,  and  follies  into 
which  he  has  fallen ;  when  he  considers  that  “  low¬ 
liness  of  mind”  is  a  characteristic  of  the  most 
exalted  of  created  intelligences,  who  “  veil  their 
faces”  in  the  Divine  Presence,  and  cheerfully  extend 
their  benevolent  regards  to  the  meanest  human  be- 
ing  who  is  an  “  heir  of  salvation ;”  and,  above  all, 
when  he  reflects  on  the  ineffable  grandeur  of  that 
Being  before  whom  “  all  nations  are  as  the  drop  of 
a  bucket,” — he  is  convinced  that  pride  is  the  most 
unreasonable  principle  that  can  exist  in  the  human 
breast,  and  that  the  most  profound  humility  ought 
for  ever  to  characterize  his  thoughts  and  actions,  both 
in  the  presence  of  God,  and  before  the  eyes  of  men. 

On  such  a  character  only  will  “  the  High  and 
Lofty  One  who  inhabits  eternity”  look  with  com¬ 
placency,  and  in  such  a  heart  alone  can  the  love  of 
God  be  expected  to  reside  in  all  its  generous  and 
noble  exercises.  Such  a  disposition,  mingling  with 
all  the  other  benevolent  affections,  will  render  them 
sweet  and  delightful;  it  will  render  us  amiable  in  the 
eyes  of  our  fellow-men ;  it  will  secure  us  against  all 
the  wretched  effects  and  boisterous  passions  which 
flow  from  haughtiness  and  pride ;  it  will  mitigate  the 


RESIGNATION. 


115 


sorrows,  the  perplexities,  and  anxieties,  to  which  we 
are  subjected  in  our  earthly  pilgrimage ;  it  will  ena¬ 
ble  us  to  preserve  our  minds  tranquil  and  serene 
amidst  the  provocations,  the  affronts,  and  the  conten¬ 
tions  to  which  we  are  exposed  in  our  intercourses 
with  general  society,  and  will  prepare  us  for  associat¬ 
ing  with  the  inhabitants  of  that  happier  world,  where 
seraphic  love,  profound  reverence  of  the  Divine  Ma¬ 
jesty,  and  profound  humility,  mingle  with  all  their 
intercourses  and  employments. 

Resignation  to  the  providential  dispensations  of 
the  Almighty,  is  another  manifestation  and  accom¬ 
paniment  of  Love  to  God.  To  be  habitually  dis¬ 
contented,  and  to  murmur  and  repine  under  the 
allotments  of  his  providence,  must  obviously  appear 
to  be  inconsistent  with  sincere  and  ardent  affection 
for  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  events.  Resignation 
to  the  will  of  God  is  the  duty  of  every  intelligent 
creature  towards  the  Creator;  and  in  proportion  to 
the  degree  in  which  this  principle  exists,  will  be  the 
happiness  of  the  intellectual  being  that  exercises  it. 
Angels  are  perfectly  happy,  because  they  are  per¬ 
fectly  submissive  to  the  will  of  their  Creator — being 
fully  contented  with  the  station  allotted  them  in  the 
universe,  and  completely  resigned  to  all  the  future 
services  and  allotments  which  Infinite  Wisdom  has 
ordained.  Wherever  pure  affection  towards  God 
actuates  the  mind,  among  the  inhabitants  of  our 
world,  it  produces  a  disposition  similar  in  kind, 
though  inferior  in  degree,  to  that  which  animates  the 
breasts  of  the  Cherubim  and  the  Seraphim  in  the 
regions  of  bliss. 

He  who  is  actuated  by  this  noble  principle,  re- 


116 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


gards  every  providential  event  as  the  appointment  of 
his  Father  in  heaven.  The  devouring  flames  may 
consume  his  habitation  to  ashes,  and  scatter  his  trea¬ 
sures  to  “  the  four  winds  of  heaven;”  the  ship  in 
which  his  wealth  is  embarked  may  be  dashed  against 
the  rocks,  and  sink  <c  as  lead  in  the  mighty  waters;” 
his  friends  may  forsake  him  in  the  season  of  his 
deepest  anxiety  and  distress ;  the  wife  of  his  bosom, 
whom  he  tenderly  loved,  may  be  snatched  from  his 
embrace  by  the  cold  hand  of  death ;  his  children, 
dearer  to  him  than  his  own  soul,  may  fall  victims, 
one  after  another,  to  some  pestilential  disease,  and 
be  for  ever  removed  from  his  sight  to  the  <£  land  of 
deep  forgetfulness ;”  his  familiar  friend,  in  whom  he 
trusted,  may  “  lift  up  his  heel  against  him,”  and  load 
him  with  unmerited  reproaches;  his  own  body  may 
be  chastened  with  sore  pain  and  loathsome  disease ; 
a  fall  from  a  horse  may  break  the  bones  of  his  leg, 
and  render  him  lame  for  life ;  a  random  blow  may 
bruise  his  eyeballs,  and  deprive  him  of  all  the  en¬ 
tertainments  of  vision ;  he  may  be  stretched,  for 
many  long  years,  on  the  bed  of  languishing;  his 
country  may  either  be  ravaged  and  laid  waste  by  de¬ 
stroying  armies,  or  rains  and  inundations  may  sweep 
away  the  produce  of  his  fields.  But,  under  all  such 
calamities,  he  bows  with  submission  to  the  will  of 
Him  “  who  rules  in  the  whirlwind  and  directs  the 
storm ;”  not  because  he  has  fortified  his  mind  with 
a  stoical  apathy  and  indifference  towards  the  evils  of 
life;  not  because  he  is  incapable  of  feeling  the  evils 
he  is  doomed  to  suffer ;  for  he  may  feel  them  in  the 
acutest  degree,  even  while  he  exercises  full  resigna¬ 
tion;  but  he  is  resigned,  because  he  feels  assured 


GRATITUDE. 


117 


that  they  are  the  appointment  of  his  Almighty 
Friend — that  they  are  parts  of  the  plan  of  unerring 
Wisdom — that  they  are  intimately  connected  with 
the  whole  chain  of  Providence  that  runs  through 
his  present  existence — that  they  are  intended,  in 
the  scheme  of  Infinite  Benevolence,  to  promote  his 
happiness  in  a  way  which  his  limited  faculties  are 
unable  at  present  to  comprehend — and,  that  they 
have  a  bearing  on  the  scenes  and  enjoyments  of  the 
eternal  world.  And,  therefore,  under  the  pressure 
of  his  most  painful  feelings,  he  is  enabled  to  adopt 
the  triumphant  language  of  the  prophet,  “  Although 
the  fig-tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  fruit  be  in  the 
vine ;  the  labour  of  the  olive  fail,  and  the  fields  yield 
no  meat;  the  flock  be  cut  off* from  the  fold,  and  there 
be  no  herd  in  the  stall;  yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
I  will  be  glad  in  the  God  of  my  salvation.”  While 
others  murmur  and  rage,  and  toss  themselves  like  a 
wild  bull  in  a  net,  and  curse  the  supposed  authors  of 
their  calamities,  he  is  enabled  to  “  possess  his  soul 
in  patience,”  convinced  of  the  rectitude  of  the  divine 
dispensations ;  and  thus  displays  a  nobleness  of  mind, 
and  a  heroism  which  is  “  above  all  Greek,  above  all 
Roman  fame.” 

Again,  Love  to  God  comprehends  Gratitude  for 
the  benefits  he  bestows.  Gratitude  is  that  particu¬ 
lar  modification  of  Love  which  flows  out  towards 
God  considered  as  the  Author  and  Bestower  of  all 
felicity :  it  is  love  excited  by  kindness  communicated 
from  benevolent  motives.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
natural  and  obvious  manifestations  of  that  general 
principle  which  I  have  been  hitherto  illustrating  ; 
for  ingratitude  is  altogether  inconsistent  with  love 


118 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION'. 


to  a  benefactor.  In  order  to  kindle  this  amiable 
affection  into  a  lively  flame,  the  person  in  whose 
bosom  it  glows  endeavours  to  take  a  minute  and  ex¬ 
pansive  survey  of  the  countless  variety  of  benefits  he 
is  continually  receiving.  He  feels  grateful  to  God 
for  his  existence,  for  the  powers  and  capacities  with 
which  he  is  endowed,  for  the  rank  which  he  holds 
in  the  scale  of  terrestrial  existence;  in  being  raised 
above  the  clods  of  the  valley,  and  furnished  with 
faculties  superior  to  the  beasts  of  the  forest  and  the 
fowls  of  heaven.  He  feels  grateful  that,  he  was 
brought  into  existence  in  a  Christian  land,  and  in 
civilized  society,  that  the  “  glad  tidings  of  salvation” 
have  reached  his  ears,  that  <c  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  He  gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  on  him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlast¬ 
ing  life,”  and  that  every  enjoyment  requisite  for  his 
present  and  future  happiness  is  secured  through  this 
plan  of  Divine  Benevolence.  But  he  does  not  rest 
satisfied  with  vague  and  general  views  of  these  im¬ 
portant  benefits :  he  contemplates  the  degradation 
into  which  sin  had  plunged  him,  the  greatness  of  the 
misery  from  which  the  love  of  God  has  delivered 
him,  the  moral  perfection  of  his  nature  to  which  he 
is  now  training,  the  serenity  of  mind  he  experiences 
in  the  practice  of  the  divine  precepts,  the  security 
he  feels  for  his  present  and  future  safety  under  the 
protection  of  Omnipotence,  the  “  strong  consolation” 
under  the  evils  of  life  which  the  promises  of  God 
lead  him  to  expect,  the  victory  over  death  of  which 
he  is  secured  “  through  Christ  Jesus  his  Lord,”  the 
resurrection  of  his  body  at  the  close  of  time,  the 
“  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth”  to  which  he  is 


GRATITUDE, 


119 


destined  at  the  dissolution  of  this  sublunary  system, 
the  alliance  into  which  he  is  brought  to  the  angelic 
tribes  and  other  pure  intelligences,  his  moral  capacity 
for  associating  with  every  holy  being  in  the  universe, 
and  the  endless  succession  of  transporting  scenes 
which  will  burst  upon  his  view  through  the  ages  of 
eternity.  While  contemplating  these  high  privi¬ 
leges,  in  all  their  bearings  and  varied  ramifications, 
emotions  of  affection  and  gratitude  arise  in  his  breast 

o 

which  can  only  be  expressed  in  the  language  of  ele¬ 
vated  devotion. 

“  O  how  shall  words,  with  equal  warmth, 

The  gratitude  declare 
That  glows  within  my  ravish’d  heart ! 

But  Thou  canst  read  it  there.” 

“  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  and  all  that  is 
within  me  bless  his  holy  name.  Give  thanks  to  the 
Lord,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits  :  who  forgiveth 
all  thine  iniquities,  who  healeth  all  thy  diseases  ;  who 
redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction,  and  crowneth 
thee  with  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies.” 

Nor  does  he  feel  less  grateful  to  God  for  his 
kindness  as  displayed  in  the  material  world,  and  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  his  providence.  He  feels 
grateful  for  those  scenes  of  sublimity  and  beauty 
with  which  the  visible  universe  is  adorned — for  the 
sun,  when  he  ascends  the  vault  of  heaven,  and  dif¬ 
fuses  his  radiance  over  the  mountains  and  vales — for 
the  moon,  when  she  t(  walks  in  brightness”  through 
the  heavens,  and  cheers  the  shades  of  night — for  the 
planets,  while  they  run  their  ample  rounds,  and  pro¬ 
claim  the  omnipotence  of  their  Maker — for  the  in¬ 
numerable  host  of  stars,  tvhich  adorn  the  canopy  of 


120 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  sky,  and  display  the  grandeur  and  extent  of 
God’s  universal  kingdom — for  the  light,  which  darts 
with  inconceivable  rapidity  from  the  celestial  lumi¬ 
naries,  and  diffuses  a  thousand  shades  of  colour  on 
the  terrestrial  landscape — for  the  surrounding  at¬ 
mosphere,  which  supports  the  element  of  fire,  con¬ 
veys  the  clouds  over  every  region,  and  invigorates 
the  functions  of  animal  life — for  the  beautiful  and 
majestic  scenery  which  deversifies  our  terrestrial  sys¬ 
tem — for  the  towering  cliffs,  the  lofty  mountains, 
and  the  expansive  vales — for  the  meandering  river, 
gliding  through  the  fields,  and  diffusing  health  and 
fertility  wherever  it  flows — for  the  riches  which 
abound  in  the  gardens,  the  forests,  and  the  fields ; 
and  the  mineral  treasures  contained  in  the  bowels  of 
the  mountains — for  the  harmony  of  musical  sounds, 
the  mellifluous  notes  of  the  nightingale  and  the  lark, 
and  the  melodious  warblings  which  resound  from  the 
vales,  the  mountains,  and  the  groves — for  the  flowers 
wrhich  enamel  the  meadows,  the  trees,  the  shrubs, 
and  the  waving  grain,  which  adorn  the  earth  with 
picturesque  beauty — for  the  animated  beings  which 
contribute  to  our  comfort ;  the  bee,  which  collects 
for  us  honey  from  every  opening  flower;  the  sheep, 
which  yields  its  fleeces  for  our  clothing ;  and  thou¬ 
sands  of  other  creatures,  which  contribute  to  supply 
us  with  food,  raiment,  furniture,  and  innumerable 
enjoyments.  In  all  these,  and  similar  objects,  he 
perceives  ample  reasons  for  elevating  his  soul,  in 
lively  gratitude,  to  his  bountiful  Benefactor. 

When  he  turns  his  eyes  upon  himself,  and  con¬ 
siders  the  wonderful  machinery  which  gives  life  and 
motion  to  his  frame,  he  perceives  the  strongest  reason 


GRATITUDE. 


121 


for  the  exercise  of  incessant  admiration  and  gratitude. 
He  feels  grateful  for  every  joint  of  his  fingers,  and 
for  every  movement  of  his  wrist,  by  which  he  is  en¬ 
abled,  with  the  utmost  ease,  to  perform  a  countless 
variety  of  manual  operations  essential  to  his  comfort 
— for  the  hundreds  of  bones  which  support  his  ani¬ 
mal  system,  with  their  various  articulations,  and  the 
hundreds  of  muscles  and  tendons  which  are  inter¬ 
woven  with  every  part  of  the  machine,  which  enable 
it  to  perform,  without  the  least  obstruction,  a  thou¬ 
sand  varied  movements  subservient  to  his  health, 
convenience,  and  pleasure.  He  cannot  walk  through 
his  apartment,  nor  lift  his  eyes  to  the  heavens,  nor 
move  a  joint  of  his  finger,  nor  draw  a  single  breath, 
without  perceiving  an  evidence  of  the  wisdom  and 
intelligence  of  his  Almighty  Maker.  He  perceives 
that  if  only  one  joint  were  wanting,  or  one  muscle 
out  of  action,  or  one  movement  out  of  a  thousand 
interrupted,  he  would  instantly  be  subjected  to  a 
thousand  painful  sensations,  which  would  throw  a 
gloom  on  every  earthly  enjoyment.  But  especially, 
when  he  reflects  on  the  wonders  of  vision — the 
thousands  of  millions  of  rays  that  are  every  moment 
darting  from  the  objects  around  him,  crossing  each 
other  in  an  infinity  of  directions,  and  yet  conveying 
to  every  eye  a  distinct  perception  of  their  colours, 
motions,  and  diversified  aspects;  when  he  reflects 
on  the  facility  with  which  he  can  turn  his  eye  in 
every  direction,  upwards  and  downwards,  to  the  right 
hand  and  to  the  left,  and,  in  a  moment,  take  in  the 
landscape  of  the  earth  and  heavens  “  at  a  small  inlet, 
which  a  grain  might  close;”  when  he  considers  the 
numerous  and  complicated  movements  continually 


1 22 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


going  on  within  him — the  heart,  like  a  powerful  en¬ 
gine,  in  perpetual  motion,  impelling,  with  prodigious 
force,  streams  of  blood  through  a  thousand  different 
tubes — the  numerous  lacteal  and  lymphatic  vessels, 
absorbing  nutriment  from  the  food,  and  conveying 
it  through  every  part  of  this  wonderful  machine ; 
when  he  considers  that  these  incessant  motions  are, 
as  it  were,  the  immediate  hand  of  the  Divinity  within 
him,  over  which  he  can  exercise  no  control,  and 
which  are  all  intended  to  preserve  his  existence,  and 
minister  to  his  enjoyment, — he  cannot  forbear  ex¬ 
claiming,  in  the  language  of  grateful  admiration, 
“  How  precious  are  thy  wonderful  contrivances  con¬ 
cerning  me,  O  God  !  how  great  is  the  sum  of  them  ! 
If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  number 
than  the  sand.  I  will  praise  thee ;  for  I  am  fear¬ 
fully  and  wonderfully  made  !” 

He  does  not  overlook  such  instances  of  “  the 
loving-kindness  of  God,”  because  to  some  they  may 
appear  minute  and  trivial.  He  does  not  contrast 
them  with  what  are  reckoned  spiritual  and  more  im¬ 
portant  blessings ;  nor  attempt  to  institute  compari¬ 
sons  between  the  beneficent  operations  of  Omnipo¬ 
tence,  in  order  to  throw  a  certain  portion  of  them 
into  the  shade.  He  considers  all  the  operations  of 
God,  from  the  plan  of  redemption  for  guilty  men, 
and  the  mission  of  his  Son  into  our  world,  to  the 
minutest  muscle  that  moves  the  joint  of  a  finger,  or 
the  ray  of  light  that  darts  from  a  flower  of  the  field, 
as  parts  of  one  vast  system  of  boundless  benevolence, 
as  essentially  connected  together  as  the  links  of  a 
chain :  and,  in  regard  to  himself,  he  views  all  the 
variety  of  blessings  now  alluded  to,  as  one  undivided 


GRATITUDE. 


123 


stream  of  unbounded  beneficence,  commencing  with 
the  first  moment  of  his  being,  running  through  all 
the  scenes  and  circumstances  of  his  terrestrial  exist¬ 
ence,  and  expanding  into  the  unfathomable  ocean 
of  eternity.  In  the  whole  series  of  contrivances  and 
events  which  relate  to  his  present  and  future  exist¬ 
ence,  both  in  what  we  consider  the  minutest  and 
the  most  magnificent  works  of  the  Deity,  he  per¬ 
ceives  the  stamp  of  Infinite  Perfection ,  and  a  con¬ 
nection  of  plan  and  of  operation,  which  excludes  all 
attempts  at  comparisons  and  contrasts.  Under  such 
impressions,  and  with  such  views  of  the  concatenation 
of  every  part  of  the  scheme  of  divine  benevolence,  he 
is  led  to  contemplate  the  kindness  of  God  at  every 
step,  and  in  every  object,  and  is  ever  ready  to  ex¬ 
claim,  “  What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  for  all  his 
benefits  toward  me !” 

In  fine,  supreme  love  to  God  includes,  in  its  ex¬ 
ercise,  a  delight  in  the  public  and  private  exercises 
of  his  worship,  a  constant  endeavour  to  yield  a  will¬ 
ing  and  unreserved  obedience  to  all  the  institutions 
he  has  appointed,  and  to  all  the  laws  he  has  issued 
for  counteracting  the  depravity  of  our  natures,  and 
for  raising  us  to  a  state  of  moral  perfection ;  an  ac¬ 
tive  and  enlightened  zeal  for  the  honour  of  his  name, 
and  for  promoting  those  institutions  which  have  a 
tendency  to  advance  his  kingdom  in  the  earth  ;  a 
cordial  approbation  of  all  his  plans  and  movements 
in  creation  and  providence;  and  devout  aspirations 
after  that  higher  state  of  existence,  where  the  glories 
of  his  nature  shall  be  more  clearly  unfolded,  and 
where  love  shall  glow  in  one  uninterrupted  and  per¬ 
petual  emotion. 

F  2 


121 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Thus  it  appears,  that  love  to  God  consists  in  com¬ 
placency  in  his  character  and  administration,  and  is 
inseparably  connected  with  admiration  of  his  wonder¬ 
ful  works,  with  humility,  resignation,  and  gratitude. 

I  cannot  conclude  my  remarks  on  this  topic  with¬ 
out  adverting,  for  a  little,  to  the  nobleness  and  su¬ 
blimity  of  this  first  and  fundamental  spring  of  all 
moral  action.  From  what  has  been  already  stated, 
it  appears  that  love  to  God  is  the  most  reasonable 
and  amiable  affection  that  can  animate  the  human 
mind ;  for  that  Being  who  is  the  object  of  it  is  the 
sum  of  all  perfection,  the  standard  of  all  moral  and 
physical  excellence,  and  the  source  of  all  the  felicity 
enjoyed  by  every  rank  of  existence  throughout  the 
boundless  universe.  It  is  also  the  most  sublime  and 
expansive  affection  that  can  pervade  the  mind  of  any 
created  intelligence.  It  excites  the  most  rapturous 
emotions  when  we  contemplate  the  harmonies,  the 
beauties,  and  the  sublimities  of  the  universe;  for  it 
recognises  them  as  the  displays  of  boundless  wisdom 
and  boundless  goodness;  as  the  production  of  that 
Almighty  Being  who  stands  in  the  relation  of  our 
Father  and  our  Friend ;  and  leads  us  to  conclude, 
that  that  power  and  intelligence  which  gave  birth  to 
all  that  is  grand  and  beautiful  in  heaven  and  on 
earth,  will  be  for  ever  exercised  in  contributing  to 
our  eternal  enjoyment.  Without  such  a  recogni¬ 
tion,  creation  appears  only  like  an  immense  desert,  and 
is  apt  to  fill  the  mind  with  apprehension  and  terror; 
for  it  can  feel  no  pleasurable  emotions  in  contemplat¬ 
ing  the  operations  of  a  Being  for  whom  it  entertains 
no  affectionate  regard.  But  in  our  solitary  walks 
in  the  fields  and  gardens,  amidst  the  emanations  of 


SUBLIMITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  1*25 

divine  munificence ;  in  our  journeys  through  the 
fertile  plains ;  in  our  excursions  through  the  Alpine 
scenes  of  nature ;  in  our  investigations  into  the 
structure  of  the  animal  and  the  vegetable  tribes ;  and 
in  our  contemplations  on  the  wonders  of  the  starry 
sky — love  throws  a  radiance  on  all  these  objects,  and 
excites  an  interest  which  cannot  be  appreciated  by 
that  mind  which  has  never  felt  the  force  of  this 
sacred  emotion. 

It  renders  us  superior  to  the  ills  of  life,  while, 
under  its  influence,  we  bow,  in  cordial  submission, 
to  the  divine  dispensations,  as  the  result  of  perfect 
wisdom,  rectitude,  and  benevolence.  It  enables  us 
to  recop-nise  the  hand  of  a  Divine  Benefactor  in 

a 

every  enjoyment,  and  the  rod  of  an  affectionate  Fa¬ 
ther  in  every  trial  and  affliction.  It  raises  the  soul 
above  the  carking  cares  and  degrading  pursuits  of 
the  world,  and  enables  it  to  look  down  with  heroic 
indifference  on  all  those  trivial  incidents  and  fancied 
insults  which  irritate  and  torment  “  the  children  of 
pride.”  It  preserves  the  mind  in  calm  serenity 
amidst  the  raging  of  the  tempest,  the  rolling  thun¬ 
ders,  the  whirlwind  and  the  hurricane,  the  eruptions 
of  the  volcano,  and  the  convulsions  of  the  earthquake ; 
while  it  recognises  the  Ruler  of  the  storm,  who  pre¬ 
sides  amidst  the  crash  of  warring  elements,  as  its 
Omnipotent  Protector  and  its  eternal  Refuge.*  It 


*  The  celebrated  Kirclier,  in  his  relation  of  the  dreadful  earth¬ 
quake  in  Calabria,  in  1638,  which  overthrew7  the  city  of  Euphe- 
mia,  of  which  he  was  a  spectator,  expresses  bis  feelings  on  that 
occasion  in  the  following  words: — “  The  universal  ruin  around 
me,  the  crash  of  falling  houses,  the  tottering  of  towers,  and  the 
groans  of  the  dying,  all  contributed  to  raise  terror  and  despair. 
On  every  side  of  me  I  saw  nothing  but  a  scene  of  ruin  and  dan- 


126 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


enables  the  man  in  whose  bosom  it  resides,  to  con¬ 
template  with  composure  the  downfal  of  kings  and 
the  revolutions  of  nations,  to  anticipate  the  hour  of 
his  dissolution  without  dismay,  and  to  look  forward 
with  fortitude  to  the  ruins  of  dissolving  nature,  when 
££  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,”  and  the 
earth,  with  all  its  magnificence,  shall  be  wrapt  in 
flames ;  confident  that,  under  “  the  shadow  of  the 
wings  of  the  Almighty,”  he  shall  remain  in  perfect 
security,  amidst  ££  the  wrecks  of  matter  and  the  crash 
of  worlds.” 

This  divine  principle  assimilates  us  to  angels,  and 
to  every  other  class  of  holy  intelligences.  It  quali¬ 
fies  us  for  associating  with  these  superior  intellectual 
natures — for  entering  into  their  lofty  and  compre¬ 
hensive  views — for  conversing  with  them  on  the 
sublime  topics  which  occupy  their  attention — for 
bearing  a  part  in  their  schemes  of  universal  benevo¬ 
lence — and  for  contributing,  along  with  them,  to  the 
order  and  prosperity  of  God’s  everlasting  kingdom. 
It  secures  to  us  the  friendship  and  affection  of  all 
the  virtuous  inhabitants  of  the  universe,  and  renders 
us  fit  for  affectionate  intercourse  with  them,  wherever 
we  may  afterwards  exist,  throughout  the  boundless 
expanse  of  creation.  Should  we  ever  be  permitted, 
during  the  lapse  of  eternal  duration,  to  wing  our 
flight  from  world  to  world,  in  order  to  enlarge  our 

ger  threatening  wherever  I  should  fly.  I  commended  myself  to 
God,  as  my  last  great  refuge.  At  that  hour,  O  how  vain  was 
every  sublunary  happiness  !  wealth,  honour,  empire,  wisdom,  all 
mere  useless  sounds,  and  as  empty  as  the  bubbles  of  the  deep. 
Just  standing  on  the  threshold  of  eternity,  nothing  but  God  was 
my  pleasure;  and  the  nearer  I  approached,  I  only  loved  him  the 
more.” 


SUBLIMITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  127 


views  of  God’s  unbounded  empire,  the  exercise  of 
this  holy  affection  would  secure  to  us  a  friendly 
reception  and  an  affectionate  intercourse  among  all  the 
pure  intelligences  within  the  range  of  his  moral  ad¬ 
ministration:  for,  as  this  principle  is  founded  on  the 
nature  of  God,  who  is  eternal  and  unchangeable,  it 
must  pervade  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  of  all 
worlds  that  have  retained  their  primitive  integrity. 
It  is  this  divine  affection  which  excites  the  rapturous 
flame  that  glows  in  the  breasts  of  the  angelic  tribes, 
which  enlivens  the  adorations  of  the  cherubim  and 
seraphim,  which  inspires  them  with  a  noble  ardour 
in  executing  the  commands  of  their  Creator,  and 
which  animates  them  in  their  flight  from  the  celestial 
regions  to  this  obscure  corner  of  creation,  when  they 
minister  to  the  heirs  of  salvation.  It  was  this  noble 
principle  which  impelled  the  angel  Gabriel  in  his 
rapid  flight  through  the  celestial  spaces,  when  he 
descended  to  announce  to  Daniel  the  answer  to  his 
supplications,  and  to  Zacharias  and  Mary  the  birth 
of  the  Saviour;  which  animated  the  angels  who  un¬ 
barred  the  prison-doors  to  Peter,  and  gave  assurance 
to  Paul  of  the  divine  protection,  while  he  was  tossing 
on  the  billows  of  the  Adriatic  sea;  and  which  fanned 
the  flame  of  devotion  in  the  heavenly  host,  when 
they  sung,  in  the  plains  of  Bethlehem,  <e  Glory  to 
God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will 
towards  men.” 

In  fine,  this  sublime  affection  assimilates  us  to 
God,  who  is  benevolence  itself,  who  supremely  loves 
his  own  character,  and  who  is  incessantly  displaying 
his  benevolence,  in  all  its  infinitely  diversified  ef¬ 
fects,  throughout  the  intelligent  universe.  It  assi- 


128 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


milates  us  to  Jesus  the  Son  of  the  Highest,  who  is 
<c  the  brightness  of  the  Father’s  glory,  and  the  ex¬ 
press  image  of  his  person,”  and  who  is  for  ever  actu¬ 
ated  with  fervent  zeal  for  the  honour  of  God,  and 
the  happiness  of  man.  It  constitutes  the  foundation 
of  all  felicity;  it  opens  the  gates  to  perpetual  en¬ 
joyment;  it  secures  its  possessor  of  eternal  happiness, 
as  its  natural  and  necessary  result ,  and  prepares  him 
for  mingling  in  the  employments  of  the  “  innumer¬ 
able  company  of  angels,  and  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect for  all  the  transporting  delights 
which  will  be  enjoyed  by  the  immortal  spirit,  while 
ages,  numerous  as  the  sand,  are  rolling  on,  while 
mighty  worlds  are  emerging  out  of  nothing,  and  in¬ 
numerable  orders  of  beings  are  starting  into  exist- 
ence,  may  be  considered  as  so  many  streams  of  feli¬ 
city  flowing  from  supreme  affection  to  the  blessed 
God.  Possessed  of  this  divine  principle,  we  secure 
the  most  honourable  connections,  become  benefac¬ 
tors  to  the  intelligent  universe,  participators  of  the 
enjoyments  of  seraphic  natures,  agents  for  carrying 
forward  the  plans  of  Infinite  Benevolence,  and 
“  workers  together  with  God,”  in  accomplishing 
his  eternal  designs.  Without  it,  we  become  nuis¬ 
ances  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  rebels  against  his 
government,  pests  to  fellow-intelligences,  destitute 
of  the  noblest  of  all  affections,  deprived  of  substan¬ 
tial  enjoyment  in  the  present  world,  and  exposed  to 
misery,  without  interruption,  in  the  world  to  come. 

If  such  be  the  native  effects  of  supreme  love  to 
God,  and  if  this  principle  lie  at  the  foundation  of  all 
genuine  morality,  how  foolish  and  preposterous  is  it 
for  Christian  moralists  to  wander  through  the  dark 


SUBLIMITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  129 


labyrinths  of  Greek  and  Roman  literature,  and  the 
intricate  mazes  of  modern  sceptical  philosophy,  in 
search  of  any  other  principles  of  moral  action  !  It 
is  like  groping  for  the  light  of  the  sun  in  the  wind¬ 
ings  of  a  subterraneous  grotto,  and  preferring  the 
glimmering  of  a  taper  to  the  full  blaze  of  the  orb  of 
day.  It  is  to  forsake  “  the  fountain  of  living  wa¬ 
ters,  and  to  hew  out  to  ourselves  broken  and  empty 
cisterns  that  can  hold  no  water.” 

In  order  to  invigorate  and  expand  this  affection, 
it  is  requisite  that  we  take  a  comprehensive  view  of 
all  the  manifestations  of  that  Being  towards  whom  it 
is  directed,  as  exhibited  in  the  history  of  his  opera¬ 
tions  recorded  in  the  volume  of  Inspiration ;  in  the 
details  of  his  moral  government  among  the  nations, 
which  may  be  collected  from  the  writings  of  histo¬ 
rians,  voyagers,  travellers,  and  missionaries ;  in  the 
economy  of  the  inferior  tribes  of  animated  beings; 
in  the  diversified  scenery  of  nature  around  us  in  our 
terrestrial  system ;  and  in  the  sublime  movements 
that  are  going  forward,  among  distant  worlds,  in  the 
firmament  of  his  power :  for,  the  more  we  know  of 
the  manifestations  of  the  Creator,  the  more  acquaint¬ 
ance  shall  we  have  with  the  Creator  himself;  and, 
in  proportion  as  our  knowledge  of  his  character  is 
enlarged,  in  a  similar  proportion  will  our  love  be 
ardent  and  expansive.  Such  extensive  views  and 
contemplations  are  indispensably  requisite,  in  order 
to  a  full  recognition  of  the  divine  injunction — •“Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with 
all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thine  understanding. 

This  is  the  first  and  the  great  commandment.” 

f  3 


130 


CHAPTER  II. 

SECOND  PRINCIPLE  OF  MORAL  ACTION — LOVE 
TO  ALL  SUBORDINATE  INTELLIGENCES. 


In  the  commencement  of  the  last  chapter,  I  had 
occasion  to  remark,  that,  strictly  speaking,  the  funda¬ 
mental  principle  or  affection  which  gives  birth  to  all 
the  ramifications  of  moral  action,  is  but  one;  namely, 
Love.  This  noble  affection  may  be  considered  as 
dividing  itself  into  two  great  streams — one  directing 
its  course  towards  the  Creator,  and  the  other  ex¬ 
panding  itself  towards  all  the  intellectual  beings 
whom  he  has  formed. 

Having,  in  the  preceding  pages,  endeavoured  to 
illustrate  the  foundation  and  the  reasonableness  of 
the  principle  of  love  to  God,  from  a  consideration  of 
his  perfections,  character,  and  relations,  and  having 
described  some  of  those  kindred  affections  by  which 
its  existence  in  the  minds  of  moral  agents  is  mani- 

O 

fested, — I  shall  now  endeavour  to  exhibit  the  foun¬ 
dation,  and  the  reasonableness,  of  that  modification 
of  love  which  is  directed  towards  created  intelligences, 
and  which  may  be  termed  the  second  principle  of 
moral  action — thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour 
as  thyself.  Taking  for  granted  that  this  is  the 
fundamental  law  prescribed  by  the  Creator  for  regu¬ 
lating  the  conduct  of  intelligent  beings  towards  each 
other — because  the  supreme  Lawgiver  has  pro¬ 
claimed  it  as  such  in  the  revelation  of  his  will — I 


LOVE  TO  OUR  NEIGHBOUR. 


IS  1 


shall  endeavour  to  exhibit  the  reasonableness  of  this 
amiable  principle — from  the  nature  of  man,  and  the 
relations  in  which  all  the  individuals  of  the  human 
race  stand  to  one  another — from  the  happiness  which 
would  flow  from  the  uniform  operation  of  this  prin¬ 
ciple — and  from  the  misery  which  would  inevitably 
ensue  were  it  completely  eradicated  from  the  minds 
of  moral  agents. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  illustration  of  these  par¬ 
ticulars,  it  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that,  by  “  our 
neighbour,”  is  to  be  understood — men  of  every  na¬ 
tion,  and  of  every  clime,  whether  they  avow  them¬ 
selves  as  our  friends  or  our  enemies,  and  whatever 
may  be  their  language,  their  religion,  their  rank,  or 
station.  The  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand,  of  Pa¬ 
tagonia,  of  New  Holland,  of  the  Ladrones,  of  Kamt- 
schatka,  or  of  Greenland,  are  our  neighbours,  in  the 
sense  intended  in  the  divine  injunction  above  quoted, 
as  well  as  those  who  reside  in  our  own  nation,  and 
in  our  more  immediate  neighbourhood.  For,  with 
all  these,  and  other  tribes  of  mankind,  we  may  hap¬ 
pen  to  have  intercourses,  either  directly  or  indi¬ 
rectly;  and  towards  them  all  we  ought  to  exercise 
an  affection  analogous  to  that  which  every  man  ex¬ 
ercises  towards  himself.  This  we  are  decisively 
taught  by  our  Saviour  in  the  parable  of  the  good 
Samaritan,  in  which  it  is  clearly  shown,  that,  under 
the  designation  of  neighbour ,  we  are  to  include  even 
our  bitterest  enemies.  His  Apostles  avowed  the 
same  sentiment,  and  taught,  that,  in  the  bonds  of 
Christian  love,  no  distinction  should  exist  between 
“  Jews  and  Greeks,  Barbarians,  Scythians,  bond  or 
free for  they  are  all  members  of  the  great  family 


132 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  God,  and  recognised  as  children  by  the  Universal 
Parent. 


SECTION  I. 

The  Natural  Equality  of  Mankind  considered  as  the 
basis  of  Love  to  our  Neighbour. 

I  shall  now  exhibit  a  few  considerations  founded 
on  the  Natural  Equality  of  Mankind,  in  order  to 
evince  the  reasonableness  of  tbe  operation  of  the 
principle  of  love  towards  all  our  fellow-men. 

In  the  first  place,  Men,  of  whatever  rank,  kin¬ 
dred,  or  tribe,  are  the  offspring  of  the  great  Parent  of 
the  universe.  They  were  all  created  by  the  same 
Almighty  Being,  and  to  him  they  are  indebted  for 
all  the  members  and  functions  of  their  animal  frames, 
and  for  those  powers,  capacities,  and  endowments, 
which  render  them  superior  to  the  clods  of  the  val¬ 
ley,  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  forest.  They  derived 
their  origin,  too,  as  to  their  bodies,  from  the  same 
physical  principles,  and  from  the  same  earthly  pa¬ 
rent.  “  Of  the  dust  of  the  ground”  the  body  of 
the  first  man  was  formed  ;  and  from  Adam,  the  primo¬ 
genitor  of  the  human  race,  have  descended  all  the 
generations  of  men  which  now  exist,  or  will  here¬ 
after  exist  till  the  close  of  time.  This  is  equally 
true  of  the  prince  and  of  his  subjects;  of  the  mo¬ 
narch  arrayed  in  purple,  and  seated  on  a  throne,  and 
of  the  beggar,  who  is  clothed  in  rags,  and  embraces 
a  dunghill;  of  the  proud  nobleman,  who  boasts  of  a 
long  line  of  illustrious  ancestors,  and  of  the  obscure 


EQUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 


133 


peasant,  whose  progenitors  were  unnoticed  and  un¬ 
known.  All  derived  their  origin  from  the  dust,  and 
all  return  to  the  dust  again.  This  consideration, 
on  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  dwell,  shows  the  rea¬ 
sonableness  of  union  and  affection  among  men,  on 
the  same  grounds  from  which  we  conclude,  that  bro¬ 
thers  and  sisters,  belonging  to  the  same  family,  ought 
to  manifest  a  friendly  affection  for  each  other. 

Secondly,  Men  of  all  nations  and  ranks  are  equal 
in  respect  to  the  mechanism  of  their  bodies,  and 
the  mental  faculties  with  which  they  are  endowed. 
Whether  their  bodies  be  rudely  covered  with  the  skins 
of  beasts,  or  adorned  with  the  splendours  of  royalty; 
whether  they  be  exposed  naked  to  the  scorching 
heats  and  piercing  colds,  or  arrayed  in  robes  of  silk 
and  crimson — in  their  construction  and  symmetry, 
they  equally  bear  the  impress  of  infinite  wisdom  and 
omnipotence.  The  body  of  the  meanest  peasant, 
who  earns  his  scanty  subsistence,  from  day  to  day, 
by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  is  equally  admirable,  in 
the  motions  of  its  fingers,  the  structure  of  its  limbs, 
and  the  connection  and  uses  of  its  several  functions, 
as  the  body  of  the  mightiest  and  the  proudest  baron, 
who  looks  down  upon  him  with  contempt.  The  or¬ 
gans  of  vision  comprise  as  many  coats  and  humours, 
muscular  fibres  and  lymphatic  ducts,  and  form  as  de¬ 
licate  pictures  upon  the  retina — the  bones  are  equally 
numerous,  and  as  accurately  articulated — the  muscles 
perform  their  functions  with  as  great  precision  and 
facility — and  the  heart  impels  the  blood  through  a 
thousand  veins  and  arteries,  with  as  great  a  degree 
of  rapidity  and  of  purity ,  in  the  corporeal  frame  of  a 
poor  African  slave,  as  in  the  body  of  the  Emperor  of 


134 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


China,  who  sways  his  sceptre  over  half  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  globe.  All  the  external  trappings  which 
fascinate  the  vulgar  eye,  and  by  which  the  various 
ranks  of  mankind  are  distinguished,  are  merely  ad¬ 
ventitious,  and  have  no  necessary  connection  with 
the  intrinsic  dignity  of  man.  They  are  part  of  the 
consequences  of  the  depravity  of  our  species:  in 
most  instances,  they  are  the  results  of  vanity,  pride, 
and  frivolity ;  and  they  constitute  no  essential  dis¬ 
tinction  between  man  and  man;  for  a  few  paltry 
guineas  would  suffice  to  deck  the  son  of  a  peasant 
with  all  the  ornaments  of  a  peer. 

Men  are  also  nearly  on  a  level  in  respect  to  the 
mental  faculties  which  they  possess.  Every  man, 
however  low  his  station  in  the  present  world,  is  en¬ 
dowed  with  a  spiritual  principle,  which  he  received 
by  “  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty,”  which  is  su¬ 
perior  to  all  the  mechanism  and  modifications  of 
matter,  and  by  which  he  is  allied  to  beings  of  a  su¬ 
perior  order.  The  faculties  of  consciousness,  per¬ 
ception,  memory,  conception,  imagination,  judgment, 
reasoning,  and  moral  feeling,  are  common  to  men  of 
all  castes  and  nations.  The  power  of  recollecting 
the  past,  and  of  anticipating  the  future — of  deduc¬ 
ing  conclusions  from  premises  previously  demon¬ 
strated — of  representing  to  the  mind  objects  and 
scenes  which  have  long  ceased  to  exist;  of  form¬ 
ing  in  the  imagination  new  combinations  of  the 
objects  of  sense;  of  perceiving  the  qualities  of  moral 
actions,  and  distinguishing  between  right  and  wrong ; 
of  recognising  a  supreme  intelligent  Agent  in  the 
movements  of  the  universe;  and  of  making  perpe¬ 
tual  advances  in  knowledge  and  felicity; — faculties 


EOUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 

<v 


135 


which  distinguish  man  from  all  the  other  tribes  which 
people  the  earth,  air,  or  sea, — are  possessed  by  the 
dwarfish  Laplander,  and  the  untutored  peasant,  as 
w'ell  as  by  the  ruler  of  kingdoms,  the  enlightened 
statesman,  and  the  man  of  science.  It  is  true,  in¬ 
deed,  that  there  is  a  mighty  difference  among  men, 
in  the  direction  of  these  faculties,  in  the  objects  to¬ 
wards  which  they  are  directed,  in  the  cultivation 
they  have  received,  and  in  the  degree  of  perfection 
to  which  they  have  attained.  There  are  innumer¬ 
able  gradations  in  the  improvement  and  the  energies 
of  intellect,  from  the  narrow  range  of  thought  pos¬ 
sessed  by  a  Greenlander  or  an  Esquimaux,  to  the 
sublime  and  expansive  views  of  a  Bacon  or  a  Neic- 
ton.  But  this  difference  depends  more  on  the  phy¬ 
sical  and  moral  circumstances  in  which  they  are 
placed,  than  on  any  intrinsic  difference  in  the  facul¬ 
ties  themselves.  Place  the  son  of  a  Boor,  or  of  a 
Laplander,  in  circumstances  favourable  to  the  deve¬ 
lopment  of  his  mental  powers,  and  afford  him  the  re¬ 
quisite  means  for  directing  and  increasing  their  acti¬ 
vity,  and  he  will  display  powers  of  intelligence  equal 
to  those  which  are  found  in  the  highest  ranks  of 

O 

civilized  life.  A  sound  understanding,  a  correct 
judgment,  vigour  of  mind,  control  over  the  irascible 
passions,  and  other  mental  endowments,  (though  des¬ 
titute  of  polish,)  will  as  frequently  be  found  in  the 
lower  walks  of  life,  as  in  the  elevated  ranks  of  opu¬ 
lence  and  power. 

The  philosopher,  however,  as  well  as  the  man  of 
rank,  is  apt  to  look  down  with  a  contemptuous  sneer 
on  the  narrow  conceptions  of  the  husbandman,  the 
mechanic,  and  the  peasant;  and  is  disposed  to  treat 


136 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


them  as  if  they  were  an  inferior  species  of  intelligent 
beings.  He  does  not  always  consider,  that  the  pro¬ 
found  and  subtile  speculations,  which  are  dignified 
with  the  title  of  philosophy ,  are  frequently  of  less 
importance  to  the  progress  of  the  human  mind,  and 
to  the  enjoyment  of  substantial  comfort,  than  the 
deductions  of  common  sense,  and  the  dictates  of  a 
sound,  though  plain  understanding;  that  they  tor¬ 
ment  him  with  feelings,  doubts,  and  perplexities, 
which  sometimes  shake  the  whole  fabric  of  his  know¬ 
ledge,  and  lead  him  into  labyrinths,  out  of  which  he 
cau  scarcely  extricate  his  way ;  while  the  man  of 
plain  understanding,  guided  by  a  few  certain  and  im¬ 
portant  points  of  truth,  prosecutes  the  path  of  virtue 
with  safety  and  success.  For  it  may  be  considered 
as  an  established  maxim,  that  the  most  interesting 
and  salutary  truths  connected  with  the  happiness  of 
man,  are  neither  numerous  nor  difficult  to  be  ac¬ 
quired,  and  are  level  to  the  comprehension  of  men  of 
every  nation  and  of  every  rank.  But,  however  gro¬ 
velling  may  be  the  affections,  and  however  limited 
the  intellectual  views  of  the  untutored  ranks  of  so¬ 
ciety,  they  are  capable  of  being  trained  to  the  know¬ 
ledge  and  the  practice  of  every  thing  which  regards 
their  present  comfort,  and  their  future  happiness ; 
and,  to  devise  and  execute  the  means  by  which  this 
object  may  be  accomplished,  is  one  way  among  many 
others,  by  which  our  love  to  mankind  should  be  dis¬ 
played.  We  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  the  want 
of  mental  energy,  or  of  the  ignorance  and  folly  of  the 
lower  orders  of  mankind,  and  to  despise  them  on  this 
account,  while  we  sit  still  in  criminal  apathy,  and 
refuse  to  apply  those  means  which  are  requisite  to 


137 


EOUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 

<v 

raise  them  from  their  state  of  moral  and  intellectual 
degradation. 

Thirdly,  Mankind  are  on  an  equality  in  respect 
of  that  moral  depravity  with  which  they  are  all  in¬ 
fected.  From  whatever  cause  it  may  be  conceived 
to  have  originated,  the  fact  is  certain,  that  a  moral 
disease  has  spread  itself  through  all  the  branches 
of  the  human  family,  in  whatever  station,  or  in 
whatever  regions  of  the  globe  they  may  be  placed. 
Whether  we  look  back  on  the  “  generations  of  old,” 
or  survey  the  moral  state  of  the  nations  in  modern 
times;  whether  we  turn  our  eyes  to  the  abodes  of 
savage  or  of  civilized  life ;  whether  we  contemplate 
the  characters  of  the  higher  orders  of  society,  or  the 
practices  which  abound  among  the  inferior  ranks  of 
social  life, — the  stamp  of  depravity,  in  one  shape  or 
another,  appears  impressed  on  the  general  conduct 
of  mankind.  In  the  case  of  nations,  this  depravity 
has  manifested  itself  in  those  wars,  dissensions,  de¬ 
vastations,  and  contentions  for  territory  and  power, 
which  have  in  all  ages  convulsed  the  human  race, 
and  disturbed  the  peace  of  the  world.  Among  les¬ 
ser  societies,  families,  and  individuals,  it  is  displayed 
in  the  operation  of  the  principles  of  pride,  ambition, 
tyranny,  persecution,  revenge,  malice,  envy,  false¬ 
hood,  deceit,  covetousness,  anger,  and  other  malig¬ 
nant  passions,  which  have  infested  all  ranks  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  men.  This  depravity  infests  the  higher 
ranks  of  mankind  equally  with  the  lower,  though 
among  the  former  it  is  sometimes  varnished  over 
with  a  fairer  exterior ;  and  therefore,  there  is  no 
rank  or  order  of  men  that  have  any  valid  reason,  on 
this  ground,  for  despising  their  fellow-creatures,  or 


138 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


withholding  from  them  the  exercise  of  affection. 
For  “there  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one:  for  all 
have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God.” 
And,  in  this  point  of  view,  love  ought  to  exercise  its 
beneficent  energies,  in  endeavouring  to  counteract 
the  stream  of  human  corruption,  and  in  disseminat¬ 
ing  those  divine  principles  which  are  calculated  to 
raise  mankind  to  the  moral  dignity  of  their  nature. 

Fourthly,  Mankind  possess,  substantially,  the 
same  pleasures  and  enjoyments.  It  is  a  trite  say¬ 
ing,  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  true  and  important 
one,  that  happiness  does  not  depend  upon  the  rank 
and  stations  we  occupy  in  life,  nor  upon  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  wealth  or  riches  we  possess.  The  pleasures 
which  flow  from  the  movements  of  the  system  of 
nature,  and  from  the  beauties  which  adorn  the  hea¬ 
vens  and  the  earth,  are  common  and  open  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  globe.  The  rising  sun,  the  smil¬ 
ing  day,  the  flowery  landscape,  the  purling  streams, 
the  lofty  mountains,  the  fertile  vales,  the  verdure  of 
the  meadows,  the  ruddy  hues  of  the  evening  clouds, 
the  rainbow  adorned  with  all  the  colours  of  light, 
the  coruscations  of  the  northern  lights,  the  music  of 
the  groves,  the  songs  of  the  nightingale  and  the 
lark,  the  breath  of  spring,  the  fruits  of  harvest,  the 
azure  sky,  the  blazing  comet,  the  planets  in  their 
courses,  the  moon  walking  in  brightness,  and  the 
radiant  host  of  stars,  convey  to  the  mind  thousands 
of  delightful  images  and  sensations,  which  charm 
the  cottager  and  the  mechanic  no  less  than  the  sons 
of  opulence  and  fame.  The  pleasures  of  the  senses, 
of  eating  and  drinking,  of  affectionate  friendship,  of 
social  and  domestic  intercourse,  of  a  cheerful,  con- 


EQUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 


139 


tented  mind,  of  fervent  piety  towards  God,  and  of 
the  hope  of  immortality  beyond  the  grave,  may  be 
enjoyed  by  men  of  every  colour,  and  rank,  and  con¬ 
dition  in  life ;  by  the  inhabitant  of  the  cottage,  as 
well  as  by  the  potentate  who  sways  his  sceptre  over 
kingdoms.  Nor  does  it  materially  detract  from 
these  enjoyments,  in  the  case  of  the  peasant,  that 
his  body  is  frequently  hung  with  rags,  that  he  sub¬ 
sists  on  the  coarsest  fare,  and  reposes  under  the 
thatch  of  a  miserable  hut.  For  habit  is  the  great 
leveller  of  mankind  :  it  reconciles  us  to  innumerable 
inconveniences  and  privations,  and  blunts  the  edge 
of  the  keenest  pleasures.  The  owner  of  a  princely 
mausion  frequently  loathes  the  most  delicious  dain¬ 
ties  on  his  table,  and  walks  through  his  magnificent 
apartments,  surrounded  with  paintings  and  decora¬ 
tions,  with  as  much  apathy  and  indifference,  as  if  he 
were  in  an  Indian  wigwam,  or  a  clay-built  cottage. 
So  that,  in  the  pleasures  of  sense,  of  affection  and 
sentiment,  there  is  no  essential  distinction  between 
the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the  poor.  But 
should  it  be  insinuated,  that  the  poor  and  the  ignoble 
have  fewer  enjoyments  than  the  rich,  then  it  will 
follow,  that  towards  them,  in  a  particular  manner, 
our  benevolent  affections  ought  to  be  directed,  in 
order  that  they  may  enjoy  a  competent  portion  of 
those  physical  and  intellectual  pleasures  which  the 
Creator  has  provided  for  all  his  creatures. 

Fifthly,  Men  in  every  condition,  and  in  every 
clime,  have  the  same  wants,  and  are  exposed  to  the 
same  disasters  and  afflictions.  Hunger  and  thirst, 
cold  and  heat,  motion  and  rest,  are  common  to  all 
orders  and  conditions  of  men  ;  and  in  order  to  alle- 


140 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


viate  such  wants,  the  aid  of  our  fellow-men  is  indis¬ 
pensably  requisite,  to  enable  us  to  obtain  food,  rai¬ 
ment,  light,  warmth,  comfortable  accommodation,  and 
shelter  from  the  blasts  of  the  tempest.  We  all  stand 
in  need  of  comfort  and  advice  in  the  hour  of  difficulty 
and  danger ;  we  all  long  for  the  friendship  and  good 
offices  of  those  around  us  ;  and  we  all  thirst  for  an 
increase  of  knowledge,  happiness,  and  joy.  And 
those  wants  and  desires  can  be  supplied  and  gratified 
only  by  the  kindly  intercourse  and  affection  of  kin¬ 
dred  spirits. 

All  are  exposed  to  the  same  sorrows  and  afflic¬ 
tions.  Disappointments,  anxiety,  disgrace,  acci¬ 
dents,  pain,  sickness,  disease,  loss  of  health,  fortune, 
and  honour,  bereavement  of  children,  friends,  and 
relatives,  are  equally  the  lot  of  the  prince  and  the 
peasant.  The  prince  in  the  cradle  is  a  being  as 
weak  and  feeble,  as  dependent  on  his  nurse,  has  as 
many  wants  to  be  supplied,  is  liable  to  as  many  dis¬ 
eases  and  accidents,  and  requires  as  many  exertions 
to  learn  to  lisp,  to  speak,  and  to  walk,  as  the  new¬ 
born  babe  of  his  meanest  subject.  Nay,  the  rich 
and  the  powerful  are  frequently  exposed  to  miseries 
and  vexations,  from  fancied  insults,  affronts,  and  pro¬ 
vocations,  from  frustrated  hopes,  from  pride,  vanity, 
and  ill-humour,  from  abortive  projects,  and  discon¬ 
certed  plans,  to  which  the  poor  are  generally  stran¬ 
gers.  If  we  enter  into  one  of  the  abodes  of  poverty, 
where  one  of  the  victims  of  disease  is  reclining,  we 
may  behold  a  poor  emaciated  mortal,  with  haggard 
looks  and  a  heaving  breast,  reposing  on  a  pillow  of 
straw,  surrounded  by  ragged  children  and  an  affec¬ 
tionate  wife,  all  eager  to  sooth  his  sorrows,  and  alle- 


EQUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 


141 


viate  his  distress.  If  we  pass  through  a  crowd  of 
domestics  and  courtly  attendants,  into  the  mansion  of 
opulence,  where  disease,  or  the  harbinger  of  death 
has  seized  one  of  its  victims,  we  may  also  behold  a 
wretch,  pale,  blotched,  and  distorted,  agonizing  under 
the  pain  of  the  asthma,  the  gravel,  or  the  gout,  and 
trembling  under  the  apprehensions  of  the  solemnity 
of  a  future  judgment,  without  one  sincere  friend  to 
afford  him  a  drop  of  consolation.  Neither  the  splen¬ 
dour  of  his  apartment,  nor  the  costly  crimson  with 
which  his  couch  is  hung,  nor  the  attentions  of  his 
physicians,  nor  the  number  of  his  attendants,  can 
prevent  the  bitter  taste  of  nauseous  medicines,  the 
intolerable  pains,  the  misgivings  of  heart,  and  the 
pangs  of  conscience,  which  he  feels  in  common  with 
the  meanest  wretch  who  is  expiring  on  a  dunghill. 

Lastly,  All  ranks  come  to  the  same  termination 
of  their  mortal  existence.  “  Dust  thou  art,  and 
unto  dust  thou  shalt  return,”  is  a  decree  which  has 
gone  forth  against  every  inhabitant  of  our  globe,  of 
whatever  kindred,  rank,  or  nation.  The  tombs  of 
mighty  princes,  of  intrepid  generals,  of  illustrious 
statesmen,  may  be  adorned  with  lofty  columns,  with 
sculptured  marble  and  flattering  inscriptions ;  but 
within  these  varnished  monuments,  their  bodies  pre¬ 
sent  carcases  as  loathsome,  and  as  much  the  prey  of 
worms  and  corruption,  as  the  corpse  of  their  mean¬ 
est  vassal.  Their  eyes  are  equally  impenetrable  to 
the  light  of  day,  their  ears  are  equally  deaf  to  the 
charms  of  music,  and  their  tongues  are  equally  silent, 
in  this  land  of  deep  forgetfulness.  This  considera¬ 
tion,  of  itself,  fully  demonstrates,  if  any  demonstra¬ 
tion  be  necessary,  the  natural  equality  of  mankind, 


142 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  that  there  is  no  essential  difference  between  the 
noble  and  the  ignoble,  the  emperor  and  the  slave. 
And  since  mankind  are  all  equally  liable  to  afflictions 
and  distresses,  and  are  all  journeying  to  the  tomb, 
nothing  can  be  more  reasonable  than  the  exercise  of 
love,  with  all  its  kindred  affections,  towards  every 
class  of  our  fellow-men,  in  order  to  alleviate  then- 
sorrows,  and  to  cheer  them  on  their  passage  through 
this  region  of  mortality. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  there  is  a  natural  equality 
subsisting  among  mankind,  in  respect  of  their  origin, 
their  corporeal  organization,  their  intellectual  powers, 
their  moral  depravity,  their  wants,  their  afflictions, 
their  pleasures  and  enjoyments,  and  the  state  to 
which  they  are  reduced  after  they  have  finished  the 
career  of  their  mortal  existence.  The  illustration 
of  such  circumstances  would  be  quite  unnecessary, 
were  it  not  that  a  certain  proportion  of  mankind, 
under  the  influence  of  pride  and  other  malignant  pas¬ 
sions,  are  still  disposed  to  look  down  on  certain 
classes  of  their  fellow-mortals,  as  if  they  were  a  spe¬ 
cies  of  beings  of  an  inferior  order  in  the  scale  of 
existence.  To  the  propriety  of  the  sentiments  now 
stated,  the  sacred  Scriptures  bear  ample  testimony  : 
“  The  rich  and  the  poor  meet  together ;  the  Lord 
is  the  maker  of  them  all.”*  <c  Did  not  he  that  made 
me  in  the  womb,  make  my  servant,  and  did  he  not 
fashion  us  alike  ?”f  “  God  hath  made  of  one  blood 

all  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  hath  determined  the  times  before  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation. 


*  Prov.  xxii.  2. 


f  Job  xxxi.  15. 


J  Acts  xvii.  26. 


EOUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 

«v 


143 


Since,  therefore,  it  appears  that  mankind  are 
equal  in  every  thing  that  is  essential  to  the  human 
character,  this  equality  lays  a  broad  foundation  for 
the  exercise  of  universal  love  towards  men  of  all  na¬ 
tions,  conditions,  and  ranks.  It  must  obviously  ap¬ 
pear  contrary  to  every  principle  of  reason,  repugnant 
to  every  amiable  feeling,  and  inconsistent  with  the 
general  happiness  of  the  species,  that  intelligent  be¬ 
ings,  who  are  all  children  of  the  same  Almighty  Pa¬ 
rent,  members  of  the  same  great  family,  and  linked 
together  by  so  many  fraternal  ties,  should  £<  bite  and 
devour  one  another,”  engage  in  hostile  enterprises 
against  each  other,  look  down  with  scorn  and  con¬ 
tempt  on  each  other,  or  even  behold  with  indiffer¬ 
ence  the  condition  of  the  meanest  member  of  the 
family  to  which  they  belong.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  consistent  with  the  dictates  of  enlightened  rea¬ 
son,  congenial  to  the  best  feelings  of  human  nature, 
and  indispensably  requisite  to  the  promotion  of  uni¬ 
versal  happiness,  that  such  beings  should  be  united 
in  the  bonds  of  affection  and  harmony,  that  they 
should  sympathize  with  the  distressed,  delight  in  be¬ 
holding  the  happiness  of  all,  “  rejoice  with  them  that 
do  rejoice,  and  weep  with  them  that  weep — that 
every  one,  whether  he  be  near  or  far  off,  whether  he 
be  rich  or  poor,  whether  he  be  learned  or  unlearned, 
whether  he  belong  to  this  or  the  other  civil  or  reli¬ 
gious  society,  whether  his  colour  be  black  or  white, 
whether  he  be  blind,  or  deaf,  or  lame,  whether  he  be 
an  inhabitant  of  Greenland,  Iceland,  Barbary,  Ger¬ 
many,  France,  or  Spain,  whatever  may  be  his  lan¬ 
guage,  manners,  or  customs,  should  be  recognised, 
wherever  he  may  be  found,  as  a  friend  and  brother ; 


144 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  a  cordial  interest  felt  in  every  thing  that  con¬ 
cerns  his  welfare  and  comfort.  Such  a  recognition 
of  man  as  man,  is  a  duty  which  necessarily  flows  from 
the  natural  equality  of  mankind,  and  is  congenial  to 
the  conduct  of  the  Universal  Parent  towards  all  his 
human  offspring.  For,  in  his  love  to  his  numerous 
family,  and  without  respect  of  persons,  he  makes  the 
same  vital  air  to  give  play  to  their  lungs,  the  same 
sun  to  cheer  and  enlighten  them,  and  the  same  rains 
and  dews  to  refresh  their  fields,  and  to  ripen  the 
fruits  of  harvest. 

Let  it  not,  however,  be  inferred  from  what  has 
been  now  stated,  that  we  mean  to  sap  the  founda¬ 
tions  of  that  subordination  of  ranks  which  exists  in 
this  world.  Gradation  in  society  is  the  appointment 
of  God,  and  necessarily  flows  from  the  circumstances 
and  relations  in  which  man  is  placed  in  this  first 
stage  of  his  existence  ;  and  were  it  completely  ovei> 
thrown,  society  would  be  plunged  into  a  scene  of 
anarchy  and  confusion,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
individuals  which  compose  it  would  become  a  lawless 
banditti.  Whether  there  exist  a  subordination  of 
office  and  rank  among  superior  intelligences  of  the 
same  species,  or  among  the  inhabitants  of  other 
globes,  we  are  unable  at  present  to  determine  ;  but 
in  the  actual  condition  of  society  in  the  world  in 
which  we  dwell,  a  state  of  complete  independence, 
and  a  perfect  equality  of  wealth,  station,  and  rank, 
arc  impossible,  so  long  as  there  exists  a  diversity  in 
the  capacities,  tempers,  and  pursuits  of  men.  On 
the  diversity  of  rank,  and  the  relations  which  sub¬ 
sist  between  the  different  classes  of  society,  as  parents 
and  children,  masters  and  servants,  princes  and  sub- 


EQUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 

«v 


145 


jccts,  is  founded  a  great  proportion  of  those  moral 
laws  which  God  hath  promulgated  in  his  word,  for 
regulating  the  inclinations  and  the  conduct  of  man¬ 
kind. 

Diversity  of  fortune  and  station  appears  absolutely 
inevitable  in  a  world  where  moral  evil  exists,  and 
where  its  inhabitants  are  exposed  to  dangers,  diffi¬ 
culties,  and  distress.  Whether  the  inhabitants  of  a 
world  where  moral  perfection  reigns  triumphant,  can 
exist  in  a  state  of  perfect  felicity,  and  move  forward 
in  progressive  improvement,  without  a  subordination 
of  rank,  it  is  not  for  us  to  determine.  But  in  such 
a  world  as  ours,  it  is  a  wise  and  gracious  appoint¬ 
ment  of  the  Creator,  and  is  attended  with  many  im¬ 
portant  advantages.  Were  there  no  diversity  of 
wealth  and  station,  we  should  be  deprived  of  many 
of  the  comforts,  conveniences,  and  assistances,  which 
we  now  enjoy.  Every  one  would  be  obliged  to 
provide  for  himself  food,  drink,  clothing,  furniture, 
shelter,  medicines,  and  recreations ;  and  in  the  sea¬ 
son  of  sickness,  danger,  and  distress,  he  would  have 
few  or  none  to  alleviate  his  affliction,  and  contribute 
to  his  comfort.  But,  in  consequence  of  the  diversity 
which  now  exists,  an  opportunity  is  afforded  of  em¬ 
ploying  the  several  capacities  and  endowments  of 
mankind  in  those  lines  of  active  exertion  for  which 
they  are  respectively  fitted,  and  of  rendering  them 
subservient  for  the  improvement  and  happiness  of 
general  society.  One  exercises  the  trade  of  a  wea¬ 
ver,  another  that  of  a  baker;  one  is  a  shoemaker, 
another  a  tailor;  one  is  an  architect,  another  a  far¬ 
mer;  one  is  a  teacher  of  science  or  religion,  others 
have  their  minds  entertained  and  improved  by  his 

d.  2.  G 


146 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


instructions.  One  is  appointed  a  ruler  over  a  city, 
another  over  a  kingdom  ;  one  is  employed  in  writing 
for  the  amusement  and  instruction  of  mankind,  an¬ 
other  is  employed  in  printing  and  publishing  his 
writings.  By  this  arrangement,  the  powers  and  ca¬ 
pacities  in  which  individuals  excel,  are  gradually  car¬ 
ried  to  the  highest  degree  of  attainable  perfection ; 
and  the  exertions  of  a  single  individual  are  rendered 
subservient  to  the  ease,  the  convenience,  and  the 
mental  improvement  of  thousands. 

It  is  not  to  the  diversity  of  rank  and  station,  that 
the  evils  which  exist  among  the  various  classes  of 
society  are  to  be  attributed  ;  but  to  the  influence  of 
a  spirit  of  pride  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  spirit  of 
insubordination  on  the  other — to  the  want  of  a  dis¬ 
position  to  discharge  the  duties  peculiar  to  each  sta¬ 
tion,  and  to  the  deficiency  of  those  kindly  affections 
which  ought  to  be  manifested  towards  every  human 
being,  by  men  in  all  the  ranks  and  departments  of 
life.  If  love,  in  all  its  benevolent  ramifications, 
were  to  pervade  the  various  ranks  of  social  life,  kings 
would  never  oppress  their  subjects,  nor  masters  act 
unjustly  towards  their  servants ;  nor  would  sub¬ 
jects  and  servants  refuse  to  submit  to  just  laws  and 
equitable  regulations.  All  would  act  their  parts 
with  harmony  and  delight  in  this  great  moral  ma¬ 
chine,  and  every  station  and  rank  would  contribute, 
in  its  sphere,  to  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  an¬ 
other.  For  the  poor  cannot  do  without  the  rich, 
nor  the  rich  without  the  poor;  the  prince  without 
his  subjects,  nor  subjects  without  wise  and  enlight¬ 
ened  rulers  and  equitable  laws.  All  are  linked  to¬ 
gether  by  innumerable  ties;  and  the  recognition  of 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


147 


these  ties,  and  the  practice  of  the  reciprocal  duties 
which  arise  out  of  them,  form  the  source  of  individual 
happiness,  and  the  bonds  of  social  enjoyment. 


SECTION  II. 

The  connections  and  relations  which  subsist  among 
mankind  considered  as  establishing  the  basis  of  Love 
to  our  neighbour. 

The  relations  which  subsist  among  mankind,  lay 
a  foundation  for  the  exercise  of  the  benevolent  affec¬ 
tions,  and  for  the  various  duties  of  social  life;  and 
these  relations  are  far  more  numerous  and  extensive 
than  the  generality  of  mankind  are  disposed  to  admit. 
The  relations  of  parents  and  children,  of  husbands 
and  wives,  of  brethren  and  sisters,  of  masters  and 
servants,  of  rulers  and  subjects,  of  teachers  and  scho¬ 
lars,  of  buyers  and  sellers,  &c.  are  recognised  by  all 
as  involving  an  obligation  to  the  exercise  of  certain 
corresponding  duties  and  affections.  The  moment 
we  contemplate  the  relation  of  a  parent  and  a  child, 
we  at  once  perceive  the  obligation  of  love  on  the 
part  of  the  parent,  and  of  reverence  and  obedience 
on  the  part  of  the  child ;  and  in  every  other  rela¬ 
tion  a  corresponding  duty  is  involved,  resulting  from 
the  nature  of  that  relation,  and  founded  on  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  love.  But  as  these  relations,  and  their  cor¬ 
responding  duties  and  affections,  have  been  frequently 
illustrated,  I  shall  advert  to  a  variety  of  circum¬ 
stances,  generally  overlooked,  which  demonstrate  the 

g  2 


148  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

universal  connection  of  human  beings  with  each 
other,  and  the  reasonableness  of  the  exercise  of  love 
towards  all  mankind. 

Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  towards  the  great 
family  of  mankind — whether  we  look  around  on  the 
land  of  our  nativity,  or  to  distant  continents,  and  the 
oceans  which  surround  them,  we  behold  thousands  of 
human  beings  toiling  for  our  ease,  our  convenience, 
our  pleasure,  and  improvement.  Here,  we  behold 
the  ploughman  turning  up  the  furrows  of  the  soil, 
and  the  sower  casting  in  the  seed  which  is  to  produce 
the  fruits  of  harvest;  there,  we  behold  the  reaper 
cutting  down  the  corn  which  is  to  serve  for  our 
nourishment.  On  the  one  hand,  we  behold  the 
cow-herd  tending  his  cattle,  which  are  to  afford  us 
milk,  butter,  and  cheese  ;  on  the  other,  we  behold 
the  shepherd  tending  his  flocks,  whose  wool  is  to 
provide  us  with  warm  and  comfortable  clothing. 
One  is  preparing  leather  from  the  hides  of  oxen, 
another  is  shaping  it  into  shoes  and  boots.  One  is 
spinning  flax  and  cotton  into  yarn,  another  is  weav¬ 
ing  it  into  linen  and  muslin,  to  cover  and  adorn  us. 
One  is  dressing  the  vine,  whose  juice  is  to  cheer  and 
refresh  us  ;  another  is  treading  the  wine-press,  and 
preparing  the  wine  for  our  use.  Here,  we  behold 
the  blacksmith  toiling  and  sweating  at  the  anvil,  pre¬ 
paring  tongs,  shovels,  and  grates,  for  our  apartments  ; 
there,  we  behold  the  carpenter,  with  his  hammer, 
and  plane,  and  saw,  fitting  up  beds,  tables,  and 
chairs,  for  our  ease  and  accommodation.  Here,  one 
is  preparing  our  food,  and  another  our  clothing; 
there,  one  is  preparing  our  drink,  and  another  our 
medicines.  In  one  chamber,  the  student  of  science 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


149 


is  preparing,  at  the  midnight  lamp,  those  composi¬ 
tions  which  are  to  convey  entertainment  and  instruc¬ 
tion  to  the  minds  of  the  public;  in  another,  the 
herald  of  salvation  is  meditating  on  those  divine  sub- 
jects,  which  he  is  about  to  proclaim  for  the  illumina¬ 
tion  and  comfort  of  assembled  multitudes.  In  short, 
to  whatever  department  of  human  society  we  direct 
our  attention,  and  to  whatever  quarter  we  turn  our 
eyes,  in  the  busy  scene  around  us,  we  behold  thou¬ 
sands  of  our  fellow-men  exerting  their  corporeal  and 
intellectual  powers  in  those  employments  which  will 
ultimately  contribute  either  to  our  ease,  our  enter¬ 
tainment,  our  security,  our  accommodation,  our  sub¬ 
sistence,  or  our  moral  and  intellectual  improvement. 

But  our  connections  with  human  beings  are  not 
confined  to  our  immediate  neighbourhood,  nor  even 
to  the  nation  in  which  we  reside.  There  is  scarcely 
a  region  of  the  globe  towards  which  we  can  direct 
our  view,  in  which  we  do  not  behold  innumerable 
links  which  connect  us  with  the  great  family  of  man¬ 
kind.  Let  us  turn  our  eyes  to  the  West  India 
Islands,  and  we  shall  behold  the  poor  African  slave 
toiling  under  the  scorching  heat  of  a  tropical  sun, 
and  smarting;  under  the  cruel  lash  of  an  unfeeling 
overseer,  in  order  to  provide  for  us  sugar,  molasses, 
and  rice,  to  mingle  with  our  dainties,  and  to  regale 
our  appetites.  If  we  direct  our  view  to  the  empire 
of  China,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe,  twelve 
thousand  miles  distant  from  the  former  region,  we 
shall  behold  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  our 
brethren  of  the  human  family  busily  employed  in 
planting  the  tea  tree,  in  plucking  its  leaves,  in  ex¬ 
posing  them  to  the  steam  of  boiling  water,  in  spread- 


150 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ing  them  out  to  dry,  in  assorting  them  into  different 
parcels,  in  packing  and  shipping  them  off  for  distant 
shores,  that  we,  at  the  distance  of  nine  thousand  miles, 
may  enjoy  a  delicious  beverage  for  our  morning  and 
evening  meals.*  If  we  turn  our  eyes  on  India  and 
Persia,  we  shall  find  multitudes  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  assiduously  employed  in  cultivating  the 
mulberry  plant,  in  hatching  and  rearing  silk-worms, 
in  winding  and  twisting  the  delicate  threads  which 
proceed  from  these  insects,  and  preparing  them  for 
the  loom,  in  order  that  our  ladies  may  be  adorned 
with  this  finest  production  of  nature  and  art.  Let  us 
pass  in  imagination  to  the  frozen  regions  of  Siberia 
and  Kamtschatka,  to  the  inhospitable  shores  of  Ona- 
laska  and  the  Aleutian  isles,  and  we  shall  behold 
numbers  of  weather-beaten  wretches  exposed  to  in¬ 
numerable  dangers  by  sea  and  land,  traversing  snowy 
mountains,  forests,  marshes,  and  deserts,  suffering 
frequent  shipwrecks  on  the  coasts  of  unknown  islands 
inhabited  by  savage  tribes,  and  exposed,  night  and 
day,  to  the  chilling  frosts  of  the  polar  regions,  and 
the  attacks  of  ravenous  wolves,  in  order  to  collect  the 
skins  of  otters,  and  furs  of  various  descriptions,  to 
adorn  the  dress  of  our  female  friends,  and  to  shelter 
them  from  the  winter’s  cold.  Let  us  pass  to  the 


*  For  a  portion  of  this  beverage  we  are  indebted  even  to  some 
of  the  monkey  tribe.  As  the  tea  shrub  often  grows  on  the  rugged 
banks  of  steep  mountains,  access  to  which  is  dangerous,  and 
sometimes  impracticable,  the  Chinese,  in  order  to  come  at  the 
leaves,  make  use  of  a  singular  stratagem.  These  steep  places 
are  generally  frequented  by  great  numbers  of  monkeys,  which, 
being  irritated  and  provoked,  to  avenge  themselves,  tear  off  the 
branches,  and  showrer  them  down  upon  those  who  have  insulted 
them.  The  Chinese  immediately  collect  these  branches,  arid  strip 
off  their  leaves _ Encyc.  Brit.  Art.  Tea. 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


151 


forests  of  Norway,  Sweden,  Canada,  and  Jamaica, 
and  hundreds  of  hardy,  weather-beaten  peasants,  ex¬ 
posed  to  many  accidents  and  privations,  will  be  seen 
cutting  down  the  tall  firs,  larches,  and  mahogany, 
sawing  them  into  planks  and  logs,  and  conveying 
them  in  floats  along  rapid  rivers  towards  the  sea,  to 
be  shipped  for  our  country,  for  the  purpose  of  being 
formed  into  floors  and  roofs  for  our  buildings,  and 
into  elegant  furniture  to  decorate  our  apartments. 

Not  only  in  distant  islands  and  continents,  but 
even  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  ocean,  multitudes  of  our 
brethren  are  toiling  for  our  pleasure,  convenience,  and 
comfort.  See  yonder  vessel  in  the  southern  Atlantic 
ocean,  which  has  just  weathered  the  storms  on  the 
southern  cape  of  Africa,  and  narrowly  escaped  the 
dangers  of  shipwreck  on  a  rocky  shore.  For  several 
weeks,  the  hardy  mariners  have  been  beating  against 
the  wind  in  the  midst  of  thunders,  lightnings,  and 
tempests,  with  mountainous  waves  continually  break¬ 
ing  over  them,  darkness  surrounding  them  for  many 
sleepless  nights,  and  the  dread  of  impending  destruc¬ 
tion  filling  them  with  trembling  and  horror.  And 
why  have  they  been  exposed  to  danger  so  dreadful 
and  appalling?  That  they  might  convey  to  our 
shores,  from  China  and  Hindostan,  stores  of  tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  porcelain,  silks,  carpets,  and  precious 
stones,  to  supply  luxuries  to  our  tables,  and  orna¬ 
ments  to  our  dress.  See  yonder  vessel  too,  which  is 
tossing  in  the  midst  of  the  Northern  ocean,  passing 
between  shoals  and  icebergs,  and  liable  every  mo¬ 
ment  to  be  crushed  to  pieces  between  mountains  of 
ace.  Her  mariners  have  long  been  exposed  to  the 
rigours  of  an  arctic  sky,  and  have  narrowly  escaped 


152 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


being  plunged  into  the  deep  by  the  stroke  of  an 
enormous  whale,  in  order  that  we  might  be  supplied 
with  seal-skins,  whalebone,  and  oil  for  our  lamps. 

Even  in  the  bowels  of  the  ocean,  thousands  of  poor 
wretches,  on  the  coasts  of  California,  Ceylon,  Persia, 
and  China,  are  diving  amidst  its  waves,  remaining 
whole  half  hours  at  sixty  feet  below  the  surface  of 
its  waters,  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being  devoured 
by  sharks  and  other  monsters  of  the  deep,  in  order 
to  collect  pearls  for  ornaments  to  the  ladies  of 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America. — In  short, 
wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  on  the  surface  of  the 
mighty  deep,  wre  contemplate  a  busy  scene  of  human 
beings  ploughing  the  ocean  in  every  direction,  and 
toiling,  in  the  midst  of  dangers,  storms,  and  tem¬ 
pests,  in  order  to  promote  the  accommodation  of 
their  fellow-mortals,  who  dwell  on  opposite  regions 
of  the  globe.  On  the  one  hand,  we  behold  thou¬ 
sands  of  hardy  Russians,  Swedes,  and  Norwegians, 
steering  their  vessels  alon<;  the  Baltic  and  the  Ger- 
man  sea,  to  convey  to  our  shores  copper,  timber, 
pitch,  skins,  hemp,  and  tallow' ;  on  the  other,  we  be¬ 
hold  the  Americans  ploughing  the  waves  of  the  At¬ 
lantic,  with  stores  of  mahogany,  sugar,  rice,  flour, 
tobacco,  rum,  and  brandy.  Along  the  vast  Pacific 
ocean,  the  Spanish  galleons  are  conveying  to  Europe, 
gold,  silver,  pearls,  precious  stones,  and  all  the  other 
riches  of  Peru.  Even  from  the  southern  icy  ocean, 
where  nature  appears  bound  in  the  fetters  of  eternal 
ice,  the  adventurous  mariner  is  conveying  to  our 
shores  furs  of  various  kinds,  with  the  products  of 
seals  and  whales.  And,  in  return  for  the  supply  we 
receive  from  foreign  regions,  our  British  sailors  are 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


153 


traversing  every  sea  and  ocean,  and  distributing  to 
the  inhabitants  of  every  clime  the  productions  of  our 
arts,  sciences,  and  manufactures. 

Even  in  the  subterraneous  apartments  of  the  globe, 
as  well  as  upon  its  surface,  many  thousands  of  human 
beings  are  labouring  in  confined  and  gloomy  regions, 
to  promote  our  comforts  and  enjoyments.  The 
copper  mines  in  Sweden  are  situated  at  more  than  a 
thousand  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
contain  a  vast  number  of  subterraneous  apartments, 
branching  in  all  directions.  In  these  dreary  abodes, 
twelve  hundred  wretched  beings  are  doomed  to  pass 
their  existence,  deprived  of  the  cheerful  light  of  day 
— toiling,  almost  naked,  in  the  midst  of  hot  and 
sulphureous  vapours,  and  under  severe  taskmasters, 
in  order  that  we  may  be  supplied  with  the  best  spe¬ 
cies  of  copper,  for  forming  our  kettles,  cauldrons, 
and  copperplate  engravings.  The  salt  mines  of 
Hungary  and  Poland,  the  gold  and  silver  mines  of 
Potosi  and  Peru,  and  hundreds  of  similar  subter¬ 
raneous  mansions  in  various  parts  of  the  earth,  pre¬ 
sent  to  our  view  numerous  groups  of  our  fellow- 
men,  all  engaged  in  similar  toils  and  labours,  in 
Order  that  we  may  enjoy  the  riches,  the  elegancies, 
and  the  conveniences  of  life.  In  our  own  country, 
how  many  thousands  of  our  brethren  are  labouring 
in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  earth,  far  beneath  its  sur¬ 
face,  exposed  to  the  suffocation  of  the  choke-damp 
and  the  explosions  of  the  fire-damp ,  in  procuring  for 
us  that  invaluable  fossil,  which  warms  and  cheers 
our  winter  apartments,  which  cooks  our  victuals,  and 
enables  us  to  carry  on  the  various  processes  of  our 
arts  and  manufactories  ! 

g  3 


154 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Thus  it  appears,  that  we  are  connected  with  our 
fellow-men,  in  every  quarter  of  the  world,  by  thou¬ 
sands  of  ties; — that  millions  of  human  beings,  whom 
we  have  never  seen,  nor  ever  will  see  on  this  side 
the  grave,  are  labouring  to  promote  our  interests, 
without  whose  exertions  we  should  be  deprived  of 
the  greatest  proportion  of  our  accommodations  and 
enjoyments.  While  we  are  sitting  in  our  comfort¬ 
able  apartments  feasting  on  the  bounties  of  Provi¬ 
dence,  thousands  and  ten  thousands  of  our  brethren 
of  mankind,  in  different  regions  of  the  globe,  are 
assiduously  labouring  to  procure  for  us  supplies  for 
some  future  entertainment.  One  is  sowing  the  seed, 
another  gathering  in  the  fruits  of  harvest ;  one  is 
providing  fuel,  and  another  furs  and  flannel,  to  guard 
us  from  the  winter’s  cold ;  one  is  conveying  home 
the  luxuries  and  necessaries  of  life,  another  is  bring¬ 
ing  intelligence  from  our  friends  in  distant  lands; 
one  is  carrying  grain  to  the  mill,  another  is  grinding 
it,  and  another  conveying  it  along  the  road  to  our 
habitations;  one  is  in  search  of  medicines  to  assuage 
our  pains,  and  another  in  search  of  consolation  to 
sooth  our  wounded  spirits.  In  the  midst  of  these 
never-ceasing  exertions,  some  are  crossing  deep  and 
dangerous  rivers;  some  are  traversing  a  vast  howling 
wilderness ;  some  are  wandering  amidst  swampy 
moors  and  trackless  heaths ;  some  are  parched  with 
thirst  in  sandy  deserts;  some  are  shivering  and  be¬ 
numbed  amidst  the  blasts  of  winter;  some  are  toil¬ 
ing  along  steep  and  dangerous  roads,  and  others  are 
tossing  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean,  buffeted  by  the 
winds  and  raging  billows. 

And  since  we  are  connected  with  our  fellow- crea- 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


155 


tures  by  so  many  links,  is  it  not  reasonable,  is  it  not 
congenial  to  the  nature  of  man,  that  we  should  be 
connected  with  them  by  the  ties  of  sympathy  and  of 
benevolent  affections  ?  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the 
various  classes  of  mankind  in  every  country,  who  are 
toiling  for  our  ease  and  gratification,  seldom  or  never 
think  of  us  in  the  midst  of  their  difficulties  and  la¬ 
bours,  Perhaps  they  have  no  other  end  in  view 
than  to  earn  their  daily  subsistence,  and  provide  food 
and  clothing  for  their  families;  perhaps  they  are 
actuated  by  the  most  selfish  motives,  and  by  princi¬ 
ples  of  vanity  and  avarice;  and  some  of  them,  per¬ 
haps,  under  the  influence  of  that  depravity  which  is 
common  to  the  species,  may  be  secretly  cursing  and 
reproaching  us  as  individuals,  or  as  a  nation.  But, 
from  whatever  motives  their  labours  and  exertions 
proceed,  it  is  a  fact  which  cannot  be  denied,  and 
which  they  cannot  prevent,  that  we  actually  enjoy 
the  benefit  of  them ;  and  that,  without  them,  we 
should  be  deprived  of  the  greater  part  of  those  com¬ 
forts  and  enjoyments  which  render  existence  desirable, 
and  which  cheer  us  in  our  pilgrimage  to  the  grave. 

We  have,  therefore,  in  almost  every  artificial 
object  that  surrounds  us,  and  in  every  enjoyment  we 
possess  from  day  to  day,  so  many  sensible  emblems 
of  our  connection  with  every  branch  of  the  great 
family  of  mankind.  When  we  sit  down  to  a  dish 
of  tea,  we  are  reminded  of  the  crowded  and  busy 
population  of  China,  where  this  plant  is  produced, 
and  of  the  poor  African  slave,  through  whose  sor¬ 
rows  and  toils  the  sugar  we  mix  with  it  is  prepared. 
And  shall  we  not  feel  a  kindly  affection  for  those 
whose  labours  procure  us  such  a  refreshing  beverage  ? 


1  56  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

And  should  not  our  love  prompt  us  to  every  active 
exertion  by  which  their  miseries  may  be  alleviated, 
and  their  intellectual  and  religious  improvement  pro¬ 
moted?  When  we  look  at  the  pearls  which  adorn 
us,  we  are  reminded  of  the  poor  wretch  who  has 
plunged  to  the  bottom  of  the  deep,  and  scrambled 
among  projecting  rocks,  to  the  danger  of  his  life,  in 
order  to  procure  them.  When  we  look  at  a  copper¬ 
plate  engraving,  we  are  reminded  of  the  dark  and 
cheerless  recesses  of  the  copper  mines,  where  hun¬ 
dreds  are  employed  in  digging  for  this  useful  metal. 
When  we  enjoy  the  comfort  of  a  cheerful  fire,  we 
are  reminded  of  the  gloomy  subterraneous  regions 
to  which  so  many  of  our  countrymen  are  confined, 
and  the  toils  and  dangers  to  which  they  are  exposed, 
before  our  coals  can  be  dragged  from  the  bowels  of 
the  earth.  And  while  we  feel  delighted  with  the 
diversified  enjoyment  which  flows  from  the  labour 
and  industry  of  every  class  of  mankind,  is  it  reason¬ 
able  that  we  should  look  with  indifference  on  any 
one  of  them  ?  Is  it  not  accordant  with  the  dictates 
of  enlightened  reason,  and  with  every  thing  that  we 
consider  as  amiable  in  the  nature  of  man,  that  we 
should  embrace  them  all  in  the  arms  of  kindness  and 
brotherly  affection,  and  that  our  active  powers,  so 
far  as  our  influence  extends,  should  be  employed  in 
endeavouring  to  promote  their  present  and  everlast¬ 
ing  happiness  ?  At  present,  they  seldom  think  about 
the  benefits  they  are  procuring  for  us  and  others  by 
their  useful  labours ;  but  were  their  circumstances 
meliorated,  wrere  their  miseries  relieved,  were  their 
minds  expanded  by  instruction,  were  their  moral 
powers  cultivated  and  improved,  were  they  to  behold 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


157 


the  various  branches  of  the  human  family  for  whom 
they  are  labouring,  exerting  every  nerve  to  promote 
their  moral  improvement  and  domestic  enjoyment, 
it  would  produce  many  pleasing  emotions  in  their 
breasts,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  toilsome  labours,  to 
reflect,  that  their  exertions  are  the  means  of  distri¬ 
buting  numerous  comforts  and  conveniences  amontr 
men  of  different  nations,  ranks,  kindreds,  and  lan- 
2ua«:es.  Their  minds  would  take  a  more  extensive 
ranire  amonff  the  various  tribes  of  mankind  with 
which  they  are  connected,  as  intelligences  of  the 
same  species ;  they  would  learn  to  trace  the  remotest 
consequences  of  every  branch  of  labour,  and  of  every 
mechanical  operation  in  which  they  are  engaged,  and 
they  would  thus  feel  themselves  more  intimately  re¬ 
lated  to  every  individual  of  the  great  family  to  which 
they  belong. 

That  it  is  the  intention  of  the  Creator  that  an  ex¬ 
tensive  and  affectionate  intercourse  should  be  carried 
on  between  the  remotest  tribes  of  mankind,  appears 
even  from  the  physical  constitution  and  arrangement 
of  our  globe.  The  surface  of  the  earth  is  every  where 
indented  with  rivers  of  various  dimensions,  winding 
in  every  direction  through  the  continents  and  the 
larger  islands,  and  some  of  them  running  a  course 
of  several  thousands  of  miles.  In  the  eastern  con¬ 
tinent,  above  four  hundred  rivers  of  large  dimensions 
are  rolling  from  the  mountains  towards  the  sea ;  and 
in  the  western  continent,  more  than  one  hundred 
and  forty  majestic  streams  are  to  be  found,  connect¬ 
ing  the  highest  and  remotest  parts  of  the  land  with 
the  ocean,  besides  thousands  of  streams  of  smaller 
dimensions.  The  water  of  the  sea  is  formed  of  such 


158 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


a  consistency,  or  specific  gravity,  that  it  is  capable 
of  supporting  large  floating  edifices ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  its  parts  are  so  yielding  as  to  permit  such 
vehicles  to  move  with  rapidity  through  its  waves  and 
billows.  In  virtue  of  this  arrangement,  the  ocean, 
instead  of  standing  as  an  everlasting  barrier  between 
the  nations,  has  become  a  medium  for  the  most 
speedy  intercourse  between  distant  lands.  The  at¬ 
mosphere  which  surrounds  the  globe,  contributes 
likewise,  by  its  agency,  to  promote  the  same  impor¬ 
tant  end.  By  the  impulsion  of  its  different  masses, 
in  various  directions,  our  ships  are  wafted,  with  con¬ 
siderable  velocity,  along  the  surface  of  rivers,  seas, 
and  oceans,  to  the  remotest  extremities  of  the  globe. 
By  means  of  these  arrangements  which  the  Creator 
has  established,  the  treasures  of  the  mountains  and 
of  the  inland  parts  of  the  continents  and  islands, 
are  conveyed  towards  the  sea,  and  transported  from 
one  island  and  continent  to  another;  and  thus  the 
various  tribes  of  mankind  have  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  each  other,  of  cultivating  an  affectionate  in¬ 
tercourse,  and  of  contributing  to  their  mutual  enjoy¬ 
ment.  And,  as  it  is  probable  that  there  exist  in 
nature  certain  powers  or  principles,  not  yet  dis¬ 
covered,  the  agency  of  which  may  be  applied  to  the 
propelling  of  machines  and  vehicles  over  land  and 
water,  and  through  the  regions  of  the  atmosphere, 
with  a  velocity  much  superior  to  what  has  hitherto 
been  effected, — it  appears  evident  that  the  Creator, 
in  forming  such  principles,  and  in  permitting  man 
to  discover  their  nature  and  energies,  intended  that 
they  should  be  applied  for  promoting  a  rapid  and 
endearing  intercourse  among  all  the  branches  of  that 


DESTINATION  OF  MAN. 


]59 


large  family  which  he  has  placed  upon  the  globe. 
And  I  have  no  doubt,  that  in  the  future  ages  of  the 
world,  by  means  of  improvements  in  art  and  science, 
such  intercourse  will  be  carried  on  in  the  spirit  of  be¬ 
nevolence,  to  an  extent,  and  with  a  rapidity,  of  which 
we  cannot  at  present  form  any  adequate  conception. 

It  appears,  then,  to  be  one  great  design  of  the 
Creator  in  connecting  mankind  by  so  many  links, 
and  in  rendering  them  dependent  upon  each  other, 
though  placed  in  opposite  regions  of  the  globe — to 
lay  a  broad  foundation  for  the  exercise  of  the  bene¬ 
volent  affections  between  men  of  all  nations,  and 
ultimately  to  unite  the  whole  human  race  in  one 
harmonious  and  affectionate  society.  And  it  is  ob¬ 
viously  the  duty  of  every  human  being  to  cultivate 
those  dispositions,  and  to  prosecute  that  train  of  ac¬ 
tion,  which  have  a  tendency  to  accomplish  the  plans 
of  the  Universal  Parent,  and  to  promote  the  happi¬ 
ness  of  his  intelligent  offspring.  In  so  doing,  he 
contributes  to  his  own  individual  happiness,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  to  that  of  all  the  moral  intelligences 
in  heaven  and  earth  with  which  he  is  connected. 


SECTION  III. 

The  ultimate  destination  of  mankind  considered  as  a 
basis  for  Love  to  our  neighbour ,  and  as  a  motive  to 
its  exercise. 

The  present  world  is  not  the  ultimate  destination 
of  mankind.  It  is  only  a  passing  scene,  through 


160 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


which  they  are  now  travelling  to  that  immortal  ex¬ 
istence  which  will  have  no  termination.  Man  is  at 
present  in  the  infancy  of  his  being;  his  faculties 
are  only  beginning  to  expand,  his  moral  powers  are 
feeble  and  depraved,  his  intellectual  views  are  cir¬ 
cumscribed  within  a  narrow  range,  and  all  the  re¬ 
lations  in  which  he  stands,  demonstrate  that  the  pre¬ 
sent  scene  is  connected  with  the  future,  and  is 
introductory  to  a  higher  sphere  of  action  and  enjoy¬ 
ment.  “We  know,”  says  the  apostle  Paul,  “that 
if  this  earthly  house  of  our  tabernacle  were  dis¬ 
solved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.”  And 
our  Saviour  declares,  that  “  the  hour  is  coming,  in 
which  all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his 
voice,  and  shall  come  forth,”  and  that  “  our  vile 
bodies  shall  be  changed,  and  fashioned  like  unto  his 
glorious  body,”  and  shall  enter  into  the  enjoyment 
of  a  new  world,  “  which  is  incorruptible,  undefiled, 
and  which  fadeth  not  away.” 

The  capacity  of  making  perpetual  advances  in 
knowledge  and  moral  improvement  in  a  future  state 
of  existence,  is  that  in  which  the  true  dignity  of 
man  consists;  and  in  this  capacity,  and  the  high 
destination  with  which  it  is  connected,  there  is  no 
difference  between  the  high  and  the  low,  the  slave 
who  is  chained  to  a  galley,  and  the  sovereign,  at 
whose  nod  the  nations  tremble.  They  are  equally 
destined  to  immortality,  and  will  exist  in  a  future 
world,  when  time,  and  all  the  arrangements  of  the 
present  state,  shall  come  to  a  close.  If  man  were 
only  the  creature  of  a  day,  whose  prospects  are 
bounded  by  this  terrestrial  scene,  and  whose  hopes 


DESTINATION  OF  MAN. 


161 


terminate  in  the  tomb,  it  might  appear  a  matter  of 
comparatively  little  importance  whether  or  not  our 
benevolent  regards  were  extended  to  our  fellow-men, 
except  in  so  far  as  our  self-interest  and  avarice  were 
concerned.  The  happiness  of  a  fellow-creature  might 
then  be  considered  as  a  matter  of  indifference,  and 
his  dissolution  at  death,  a  circumstance  as  trivial  as 
the  falling  of  a  leaf  in  autumn,  or  the  sinking  of 
a  stone  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  Even  in  this 
case,  however,  it  would  still  be  conducive  to  human 
happiness,  during  the  short  and  uncertain  span  of 
our  existence,  that  all  the  branches  of  the  human 
family  were  cemented  together  in  union  and  affec¬ 
tion.  But  when  we  reflect  that  all  the  intelligent 
beings  around  us,  with  whom  we  more  immediately 
associate,  and  all  those  in  distant  lands,  with  whom 
we  are  connected  by  the  ties  of  one  common  nature, 
and  on  whom  we  depend  for  many  of  our  comforts, 
are  destined,  along  with  ourselves,  to  an  eternal 
world,  in  another  region  of  the  Creator’s  empire; 
and  that  the  affections  we  now  cultivate,  and  the 
conduct  we  pursue,  in  reference  to  our  brethren, 
have  an  intimate  relation  to  that  immortal  existence ; 
— this  consideration  stamps  an  importance  on  the 
exercise  of  brotherly  affection  which  is  beyond  the 
power  of  human  language  to  express.  It  shows  us, 
that  the  dispositions  which  we  now  indulge,  and  the 
manner  in  which  we  treat  the  meanest  of  our  fellow- 
creatures,  may  be  recognised,  and  attended  with  the 
most  important  effects,  a  thousand  millions  of  years 
hence,  and  may  run  parallel,  in  their  consequences, 
even  with  eternity  itself. 

We  may,  perhaps,  view  it  as  a  matter  of  trivial 


162 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


moment  in  what  manner  we  now  conduct  ourselves 
towards  a  servant  or  a  slave ;  whether  we  render  his 
life  miserable  by  hard  labour,  cruel  insults,  and  con¬ 
temptuous  treatment,  or  study  to  promote  his  com¬ 
fort  and  domestic  enjoyment ;  whether  we  neglect 
to  instruct  him  in  the  knowledge  of  his  duty  to  his 
God  and  to  his  fellow-men,  or  labour  to  promote 
his  moral  and  religious  improvement.  We  may 
view  with  indifference  or  contempt  the  person  and 
the  family  of  a  poor  pious  neighbour,  who  has  earned 
a  scanty  subsistence  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  and 
may  behold  his  body  laid  in  the  grave  with  as  much 
apathy  as  we  behold  the  carcase  of  a  dog  thrown 
into  a  pond.  But,  could  we  follow  the  pious  man 
beyond  the  precincts  of  the  tomb,  into  that  immortal 
scene  which  has  burst  upon  his  disencumbered  spirit ; 
could  we  trace  the  gradual  expansion  of  his  moral 
and  intellectual  faculties  ;  could  we  behold  his  moul¬ 
dered  frame  starting  up  to  new  life  at  <{  the  resur¬ 
rection  of  the  just,”  and  arrayed  in  new  splendour 
and  beauty ;  could  we  contemplate  him  placed  in  a 
station  of  dignity  and  honour  among  “  the  sons  of 
God,”  in  that  glorious  residence  to  which  he  is  des¬ 
tined  ;  his  mental  powers  expanding,  grasping  the 
most  sublime  objects,  and  pushing  forward  in  the 
career  of  perpetual  improvement,  without  the  least 
stain  of  moral  imperfection, — would  we  now  treat 
such  a  one  with  malevolence,  or  even  with  indiffer¬ 
ence  or  neglect  ?  And,  were  we  placed  by  his  side 
in  such  a  dignified  station,  what  would  our  feelings 
be,  when  we  recollected  the  apathy,  the  indiffer¬ 
ence,  and  even  the  contempt,  with  which  he  was 
treated  in  this  sublunary  scene  ?  On  the  other 


DESTINATION  OF  MAN. 


163 


hand,  could  we  follow  the  poor  wretched  slave  to  the 
future  world,  and  contemplate  the  degradation  and 
misery  to  which  he  is  there  reduced  in  consequence 
of  our  malevolence  and  neglect,  what  emotions  of 
horror  and  indignation  should  we  not  feel  at  the  re¬ 
collection  of  that  pride  and  disaffection  which  led  us 
to  act  so  basely  towards  a  fellow-immortal,  whom 
it  was  in  our  power  to  have  trained  to  wisdom,  to 
excellence,  and  to  a  happy  immortality  ?  When, 
therefore,  we  behold  individuals  withholding  their 
benevolent  regard  from  their  brethren  of  mankind, 
and  treating  them  with  haughtiness  and  contempt, 
we  must  conclude,  that  such  persons  overlook  the 
true  dignity  of  man,  and  secretly  disbelieve  the 
reality  of  an  immortal  existence,  whatever  profes¬ 
sions  they  may  make  to  the  contrary.  For,  the 
consideration  of  the  eternal  destiny  of  mankind  re¬ 
flects  a  dignity  on  the  meanest  human  being,  and 
attaches  an  importance  to  all  our  affections  and  ac¬ 
tions  in  relation  to  him,  unspeakably  greater  than  if 
his  existence  were  circumscribed  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  time,  and  throws  completely  into  the  shade 
all  the  degrading  circumstances  with  which  he  is  now 
surrounded. 

When  we  consider  our  brethren  of  the  human 
family  in  the  light  of  immortal  intelligences,  and 
look  forward  to  the  scenes  of  the  eternal  world,  a 
crowd  of  interesting  reflections  naturally  arises  in 
the  mind.  A  wide  and  unbounded  prospect  opens 
before  us.  Amidst  new  creations,  and  the  revolu¬ 
tions  of  systems  and  worlds,  new  displays  of  the 
Creator’s  power  and  providence  burst  upon  the  view. 
We  behold  ourselves  placed  on  a  theatre  of  action 


164 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  enjoyment,  and  passing  through  “  scenes  and 
changes”  which  bear  no  resemblance  to  the  trans¬ 
actions  and  events  of  this  sublunary  world.  We 
behold  ourselves  mingling  with  beings  of  a  superior 
order,  cultivating  nobler  affections,  and  engaged  in 
more  sublime  employments  than  those  which  now 
occupy  our  attention.  We  behold  ourselves  asso¬ 
ciated  with  men  of  all  nations  and  kindreds,  and 
with  those  who  lived  in  the  remotest  periods  of 
time.  Millions  of  years  roll  on  after  millions,  our 
capacities  and  powers  of  intellect  are  still  expanding, 
and  new  scenes  of  beauty  and  magnificence  are  per¬ 
petually  bursting  on  the  astonished  mind,  without 
any  prospect  of  a  termination.  Amidst  those  eter¬ 
nal  scenes,  we  shall,  doubtless,  enter  into  the  most 
intimate  connections  with  persons  whom  we  have 
never  seen,  from  whom  we  are  now  separated  by 
continents  and  oceans,  with  those  whose  bodies  are 
now  mouldering  in  the  dust,  with  those  who  have 
not  yet  entered  on  the  stage  of  existence,  and  with 
those  with  whom  we  now  refuse  to  associate  on 
account  of  their  rank,  their  station,  and  their  reli¬ 
gious  opinions.  That  man  into  whose  dwelling  we 
would  not  at  present  deign  to  enter,  and  with  whom 
we  would  abhor  to  mingle  in  the  public  services  of 
religion,  may  then  be  one  of  our  chief  companions 
in  the  regions  of  bliss,  in  directing  and  expanding 
our  views  of  the  glory  and  magnificence  of  God. 
The  man  whom  we  now  hate  and  despise,  and  whose 
offers  of  assistance  we  would  treat  with  disdain,  may, 
in  that  happier  world,  be  a  principal  agent  in  open¬ 
ing  to  our  view  new  scenes  of  contemplation  and  de¬ 
light.  That  servant  whom  we  now  treat  as  a  being 


DESTINATION  OF  MAN. 


165 


of  inferior  species,  at  whom  we  frown  and  scold  with 
feelings  of  proud  superiority,  may  be  our  instructor, 
and  director,  and  every  way  our  superior,  in  that 
region  where  earthly  distinctions  are  unknown.  That 
humble  instructor  whom  we  now  despise,  and  whose 
sentiments  wre  treat  with  contempt,  may,  in  that 
world  of  intelligence  and  love,  be  our  teacher  and 
our  guide,  to  direct  our  views  of  the  attributes  of  the 
Deity,  of  the  arrangements  of  his  providence,  and  of 
the  glories  of  his  empire.  There,  the  prince  may 
yield  precedence  to  his  subjects,  the  master  to  the 
slave,  and  the  peer  to  the  humblest  peasant.  For 
no  pre-eminence  of  birth,  fortune,  or  learning,  no 
excellence  but  that  which  is  founded  on  holiness  and 
virtue,  on  moral  and  intellectual  endowments,  will 
have  any  place  in  the  arrangements  of  that  world 
where  human  distinctions  are  for  ever  abolished  and 
unknown.  And  shall  we  now  refuse  to  acknowledge 
those  who  are  to  be  our  friends  and  companions  in 
that  future  world  ?  Is  it  not  agreeable  to  the  dic¬ 
tates  of  reason,  and  to  the  voice  of  God,  that  we 
should  regard  them  with  complacency  and  affection, 
whatever  be  the  garb  they  now  wear,  whatever  be 
their  colour  or  features,  and  in  whatever  island  or 
continent  they  may  now  reside  ? 

It  must,  indeed,  be  admitted,  that  all  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  our  world  will  not  be  exalted  to  dignity 
and  happiness  in  the  future  state.  A  great  pro¬ 
portion  of  them,  in  their  present  state  of  depravity 
and  degradation,  are  altogether  unqualified  for  par¬ 
ticipating  in  the  exercises  and  enjoyments  of  celes¬ 
tial  intelligences.  Whole  nations  are  still  over¬ 
spread  with  intellectual  darkness,  ignorant  of  their 


166 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


eternal  destination,  and  immersed  in  immoralities 
and  vile  abominations.  And,  even  in  those  countries 
where  the  light  of  revelation  has  dispelled  the  gloom 
of  heathenism,  a  vast  mass  of  human  beings  are  to 
be  found,  “  having  their  understandings  darkened, 
alienated  from  the  life  of  God,”  and  sunk  into  the 
mire  of  every  moral  pollution.  Still  we  have  no 
reason,  on  this  account,  to  overlook  their  native 
dignity  and  their  high  destination.  Every  human 
being  we  see  around  us,  however  low  in  rank,  or 
degraded  by  vice,  is  endowed  with  an  immortal  na¬ 
ture,  and  is  capable  of  being  raised  to  the  dignity  of 
an  inhabitant  of  heaven ;  and  there  is  not  a  single 
individual  to  whom  we  can  point,  either  in  our  own 
country  or  in  other  lands,  in  relation  to  whom  we 
are  authorized  to  affirm,  that  he  will  not  be  a  par¬ 
ticipator  in  immortal  bliss.  And  therefore,  every 
man  with  whom  we  associate,  and  whom  we  recog¬ 
nise  in  the  circle  of  society  around  us,  ought  to  be 
viewed  as  one  with  whom  we  may  associate  in  the 
world  to  come.  And  as  to  those  who  appear  to  be 
partially  enlightened  and  renovated  in  their  minds, 
we  ought  not  to  withhold  our  affection  and  compla¬ 
cency  on  account  of  their  ignorance,  their  contracted 
views,  or  erroneous  opinions.  We  should  view  them, 
not  as  they  are  in  their  present  state  of  infancy  and 
weakness,  but  as  they  will  be  when  arrived  at  ma¬ 
turity  and  manhood  ;  not  as  they  appear  in  the  first 
weak  essays  of  their  intellectual  powers,  and  in  the 
lowest  step  of  their  existence,  but  as  they  will  appear 
in  their  career  of  improvement  after  the  lapse  of  mil¬ 
lions  of  ages.  Carrying  forward  our  views  to  those 
eternal  scenes,  and  accompanving  our  brethren  of 


DESTINATION  OF  MAN. 


167 


the  human  family  through  all  the  gradations  of  their 
existence  in  future  worlds,  we  behold  their  faculties 
in  progressive  expansion,  their  minds  approximating 
nearer  to  the  Source  of  eternal  wisdom,  their  views 
of  the  empire  of  Omnipotence  continually  enlarging, 
their  knowledge  of  the  plan  of  redemption,  and  its 
numerous  bearings,  for  ever  increasing ;  their  love 
and  affection  to  God  and  to  fellow-intelligences  wax¬ 
ing  into  a  more  ardent  flame ;  every  evil  propensity 
corrected,  every  imperfection  removed,  every  blossom 
of  virtue  fully  expanded,  and  “joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory”  pervading  every  faculty  of  their  souls. 
And  can  we  behold  intelligent  minds  capable  of  so 
high  and  dignified  attainments,  and  the  companions 
of  our  future  destiny,  with  indifference  or  contempt? 
Is  there  not  here  a  broad  foundation  laid  for  the 
most  expansive  emanations  of  love  towards  every 
member  of  the  great  family  of  mankind,  however 
much  he  may  be  obscured  and  sullied  by  folly  and 
sin  in  this  first  stage  of  his  existence  ? 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  greater  part  of  man¬ 
kind  are  immersed  in  ignorance  and  vice,  while  the 
image  of  their  Maker  is  defaced,  and  their  immortal 
powers  prostituted  to  the  vilest  passions,  the  most 
noble  and  honourable  operation  in  which  love  can 
be  engaged,  is  to  devise  and  execute  schemes  by 
which  our  degraded  brethren  may  be  raised  to  in¬ 
tellectual  and  moral  excellence ;  to  train  up  young 
immortals  in  religion  and  virtue;  to  diffuse  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  useful  knowledge  among  all  ranks ;  to  coun¬ 
teract  the  diabolical  spirit  of  war  and  contention  ; 
to  abolish  slavery  in  every  shape ;  to  meliorate  the 
social  and  domestic  condition  of  the  lower  orders  of 


168 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


society  ;  to  publish  the  revelation  of  God  in  every 
language  ;  and  to  send  forth  the  messengers  of  sal¬ 
vation  to  every  land,  to  instruct  men  of  all  nations, 
and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  God,  and  of  the  path  which  leads  to  a  blessed 
immortality.  Thus  shall  we  he  enabled  to  manifest 
our  love  towards  all  our  brethren  of  the  human 
family ;  thus  shall  we  contribute  to  render  them 
worthy  of  our  highest  affection,  and  to  prepare  them 
for  the  exalted  exercises  and  enjoyments  of  the  life 
to  come. 


SECTION  IV. 

Love  to  God  and  our  Neighbour  enforced  and  illustrated, 
from  a  consideration  of  the  miserable  effects  which 
would  ensue  -were  these  principles  reversed,  and  were 
rational  beings  to  act  accordingly. 

The  two  leading  principles  which  I  have  endea¬ 
voured  to  illustrate  in  the  preceding  pages,  form  the 
basis  of  the  moral  order  of  the  intelligent  universe. 
Consequently,  were  these  principles  reversed,  and 
were  moral  agents  to  act  accordingly,  the  world  would 
soon  be  transformed  into  a  scene  of  the  most  dismal 
anarchy  and  confusion.  Every  action  would  be 
dictated  by  feelings  of  pure  malevolence ,  and  misery 
in  every  shape  would  he  the  great  object  which  hu¬ 
man  beings  would  exert  their  powers  to  accomplish. 
Could  we  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  society  could 
subsist  for  any  length  of  time  under  the  unrestrained 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


169 


operation  of  such  a  principle,  the  following,  among 
many  thousands  of  similar  effects,  would  be  the  na¬ 
tural  and  necessary  results  : — 

Every  individual  would  exhibit,  in  every  action, 
the  character  of  a  fiend  ;  and  every  family  would  dis¬ 
play  a  miniature  picture  of  hell.  Between  the  hus¬ 
band  and  wife  there  would  be  nothing  but  incessant 
brawling,  dissension,  and  execration.  Whatever  was 
ardently  desired  by  the  one,  would  be  as  resolutely 
and  obstinately  opposed  by  the  other;  and  the  fury 
and  resentment  excited  by  unsatisfied  desires  and 
disappointed  hopes,  would  destroy  every  vestige  of 
peace  and  tranquillity,  and  stimulate  a  host  of  infer¬ 
nal  passions  to  rage  without  control.  Their  children 
would  be  actuated  by  the  same  diabolical  tempers. 
The  son  would  take  an  infernal  pleasure  in  cursing 
and  insulting  “  the  father  that  begat  him,”  and  in 
trampling  with  scorn  and  indignation  on  the  mother 
who  gave  him  birth.  Brothers  and  sisters  would 
live  under  the  continual  influence  of  malice  and  envy, 
<{  hateful,  and  hating  one  another.”  Whatever  ac¬ 
tions  tended  to  irritate,  to  torment,  and  to  enrage  the 
passions  of  each  other,  and  to  frustrate  their  de¬ 
sires  and  expectations,  would  be  performed  with  a 
grin  of  infernal  delight.  Mutual  scuffles  and  exe¬ 
crations  would  ensue.  One  would  have  his  eye-bali 
bruised,  or  knocked  out  of  its  socket,  another  would 
have  his  teeth  driven  out  of  his  jaws;  one  would 
have  his  hair  torn  from  its  roots,  another  his  skull 
fractured  with  repeated  blows ;  the  legs  of  one  would 
be  full  of  bruises  and  putrifying  sores,  and  the  face 
of  another  all  over  covered  with  blotches  and  scars, 
most  hideous  to  behold  ;  and,  in  the  progress  of  con- 
D.  2.  H 


170 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tention,  the  hand  of  a  brother  would  plunge  his  dag¬ 
ger  into  a  brother’s  heart. 

In  larger  societies,  fraud,  falsehood,  deceit,  se¬ 
duction,  quarrels,  oppression,  plunder,  rapine,  mur¬ 
der,  and  assassination,  would  be  the  common  occur¬ 
rences  of  every  day  and  every  hour.  The  seller 
would  uniformly  endeavour  to  cheat  the  buyer,  and 
the  buyer  would  endeavour  by  every  kind  of  fraud, 
or  open  force,  to  deprive  the  seller  of  the  value  of 
his  commodities.  Poison  would  be  sold  for  medi¬ 
cine,  and  deleterious  mixtures  and  poisonous  drugs 
would  be  mixed  up  with  the  common  articles  of  food, 
that  the  venders  might  enjoy  the  diabolical  pleasure 
of  hearing  of  the  pains,  the  agonies,  and  the  dying 
groans  of  the  victims  of  their  villany.  The  debauchee 
would  triumph  in  the  number  of  victims  he  had  ren¬ 
dered  wretched  and  forlorn  by  his  wiles  and  depraved 
passions;  the  strong  would  oppress  the  weak,  and  re¬ 
joice  in  depriving  them  of  every  comfort,  and  the 
powerful  would  exult  in  trampling  under  foot  the 
persons  and  property  of  the  poor,  and  in  beholding 
the  extent  of  the  miseries  they  had  created. 

In  the  common  intercourse  of  life,  every  one  would 
be  maltreated,  insulted,  and  reproached,  as  he  walked 
along  the  street ;  the  lip  would  be  shot  out  with  a 
diabolical  grin  at  every  passenger,  which  would  be 
returned  with  the  frown  and  the  scowl  of  a  demon. 
Every  passenger  that  met  another  on  the  highway 
would  be  encountered  with  blows,  execrations,  and 
reproaches;  and  he  who  met  his  neighbour  unawares 
in  the  recesses  of  a  forest,  would  receive  a  dagger  in 
his  breast  before  he  was  aware  of  his  danger.  Words 
would  be  exchanged  between  man  and  man  that  would 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


171 


cut  each  other’s  hearts  “  like  the  piercings  of  a 
sword,”  and  horrible  contentions,  accompanied  with 
rage  and  fury,  and  wounds  and  bruises,  would  be 
presented  to  the  view  in  every  city,  and  village,  and 
rural  scene.  When  one  had  finished  a  house  to 
shelter  him  from  the  storm,  a  number  of  despera¬ 
does,  in  horrid  combination,  would  overturn  the  man¬ 
sion,  and  crush  him  among  the  ruins.  When  one 
had  planted  vines  and  fruit-trees,  others  would  seize 
the  opportunity,  when  they  were  beginning  to  bud 
and  blossom,  to  tear  them  up  by  the  roots;  persons 
who  sowed  the  seed  in  spring  could  have  no  con¬ 
fidence  that  they  would  ever  reap  the  fruits  in 
autumn;  and  no  one  could  have  the  least  security 
that  the  wealth  and  property  he  possessed  to-day 
would  be  his  to-morrow.  No  one  could  feel  secure, 
for  a  single  hour,  that  his  life  was  not  in  danger 
from  the  sword  of  the  murderer  or  the  assassin; 
every  man  would  live  in  continual  fear  and  alarm ; 
no  pleasing  prospects,  nor  hopes  of  future  enjoy¬ 
ment,  would  ever  calm  the  tumultuous  passions,  or 
cheer  the  distracted  mind;  all  confidence  between 
man  and  man  would  be  completely  destroyed ;  false¬ 
hood  in  every  shape  would  walk  triumphant;  the 
mind  would  be  distracted  amidst  its  ignorance  of  the 
scenes  and  events  that  were  happening  around  it;  for 
no  intelligence  could  be  believed,  and  no  one  could 
certainly  know  the  reality  of  any  object  or  event, 
unless  he  beheld  it  with  his  own  eyes.  Schools, 
seminaries  of  learning,  universities  and  academies, 
would  have  no  existence;  and  no  one  could  gain  an 
acquaintance  with  any  principle  or  fact  in  the  universe 
around  him,  except  in  so  far  as  he  had  made  the  in- 

H  2 


172 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


vestigation  by  means  of  his  own  senses  and  powers. 
Tormented  by  tumultuous  passions  raging  within, 
in  continual  alarm  from  desperadoes,  plunderers,  and 
assassins,  raging  around,  looking  back  on  the  past 
with  horrible  recollections,  and  contemplating  the 
future  with  terror  and  dismay,  the  mind  would  feel 
itself  fixed  in  a  scene  of  misery  and  wretchedness, 
which  no  words  could  describe,  nor  pencil  delineate. 

If  we  could  suppose  a  number  of  such  beings 
leagued  together  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the 
schemes  of  malevolence  more  completely  into  effect, 
one  of  their  employments  would  be  to  set  fire  to 
houses  and  villages,  in  order  that  they  might  enjoy 
the  infernal  pleasure  of  seeing  their  fellow-creatures 
deprived  of  every  shelter,  and  of  beholding  men, 
women,  and  children,  roasting  in  the  flames.  An¬ 
other  employment  would  he  to  poison  the  springs  of 
water,  that  they  might  behold  one  after  another, 
from  the  sucking  child  to  the  hoary  head,  seized 
with  excruciating  pains,  and  sinking  into  the  ago¬ 
nies  of  death.  Another  gratification  of  malevolence 
would  he  to  dam  up  the  rivers  in  their  rapid  course, 
that  they  might  overflow  the  circumjacent  plains,  in 
order  that  they  might  feast  their  eyes  on  the  scenes 
of  devastation  and  ruin  that  would  thus  be  created, 
and  on  the  terror  and  destruction  of  the  wretched 
inhabitants.  The  conflagration  of  a  city,  with  all 
its  accompaniments,  the  crash  of  falling  houses,  and 
of  palaces  tumbling  into  ruin ;  the  terror  and  confu¬ 
sion  of  its  inhabitants,  the  wailings  of  women  and 
children,  and  the  groans  of  the  burning  victims, 
would  he  a  feast  to  the  eyes,  and  music  to  the  ears, 
of  such  malignant  beings,  as  they  once  were  to  Nero, 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


173 


when,  from  the  top  of  a  high  tower,  he  beheld  Rome 
wrapt  in  the  flames  which  he  himself  had  kindled, 
and  sung  on  his  lyre  the  destruction  of  Troy.  Even 
in  the  midst  of  the  ocean,  such  revolting  scenes 
would  be  frequently  realized.  When  two  ships 
descried  each  other,  a  diabolical  onset  would  ensue. 
To  set  on  flames  the  respective  vessels,  to  sink  them 
in  the  deep,  or  to  cause  them  burst  with  a  horrid 
explosion,  would  be  the  object  of  both  the  crews; 
that  they  might  feast  their  malevolence  on  the  spec¬ 
tacle  of  wounds  and  carnage,  of  drowning  wretches 
covered  with  blood  and  scars,  fighting  with  the  bil¬ 
lows,  and  scrambling  for  safety  among  the  shattered 
fragments  of  the  wreck. 

Were  it  possible  that  discoveries  in  art  and  sci¬ 
ence  could  be  made  by  intelligences  actuated  by  such 
malignant  passions,  they  would  all  be  applied  to  sub¬ 
serve  the  purposes  of  malevolence.  The  force  of 
gunpowder  would  be  employed  to  blow  ships  and 
houses  to  atoms,  to  shake  populous  cities  to  their 
foundations,  and  to  create  among  their  inhabitants 
universal  horror  and  alarm ;  the  force  of  steam  would 
be  employed  in  producing  destructive  explosions,  and 
in  propelling  the  instruments  of  death  and  devasta¬ 
tion  among  a  surrounding  populace.  Air-balloons 
would  be  employed  for  enabling  them  to  carry  their 
malignant  schemes,  in  relation  to  distant  tribes,  more 
speedily  into  effect,  for  hurling  down  upon  towns  and 
villages,  stones,  and  bullets,  and  darts,  and  for  ena¬ 
bling  them  to  escape  in  safety  when  they  had  finished 
the  work  of  destruction.  The  discovery  of  the  na¬ 
ture  of  lightning,  and  its  identity  to  the  electrical 
fluid,  instead  of  being  applied  for  the  protection  of 


174 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


persons  and  of  buildings  from  the  stroke  of  that  ter¬ 
rific  meteor,  would  be  destined  to  the  purpose  of 
devastation  and  destruction.  The  electricity  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  lightnings  from  the  clouds, 
would  be  conducted  and  directed  so  as  to  set  on  fire 
stacks  of  corn,  to  shatter  lofty  buildings,  and  lay 
groups  of  men  and  cattle  prostrate  with  the  dust. 
Every  mechanical  power,  and  all  the  combinations  of 
physical  forces  which  art  can  produce,  would  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  framing  of  engines  for  torture,  devasta¬ 
tion,  and  massacre;  and  on  the  front  of  every  new 
invention  would  be  displayed,  as  if  engraved  in  legible 
characters,  terror,  misery,  and  destruction. 

Could  we  suppose  for  a  moment  such  beings  oc¬ 
casionally  combining,  on  a  large  scale,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  more  extensively  glutting  their  malevolence, 
their  conduct  towards  each  other  as  nations ,  and  the 
contests  in  which  they  would  be  engaged  in  this  ca¬ 
pacity,  would  be  tremendous  and  horrible  beyond  the 
power  of  description.  Every  malevolent  affection 
would  be  brought  into  action ;  every  infernal  passion 
would  be  raised  to  its  highest  pitch  of  fury ;  every 
one,  stimulated  by  his  associates,  would  breathe  no¬ 
thing  but  revenge,  execrations,  slaughter,  and  utter 
extermination  against  opposing  armies;  every  engine 
of  human  destruction  which  ingenuity  could  invent, 
would  be  brought  into  the  scene  of  action ;  the  yell 
of  demons  would  accompany  the  fierce  and  sanguin¬ 
ary  onset ;  and  a  scene  of  horror  would  ensue  beyond 
the  power  of  imagination  to  conceive — which  would 
not  terminate,  till  the  one  class  of  combatants  had 
exterminated  the  other — till  they  had  destroyed  the 
fruits  of  their  ground,  and  turned  their  land  into  a 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


175 


wilderness — till  they  had  burned  their  villages  to 
ashes,  and  tumbled  their  cities  into  a  heap  of  ruins 
— till  they  had  drenched  their  fields  with  blood,  and 
strewed  them  with  skulls  and  limbs,  and  the  mangled 
earcases  of  thousands  and  ten  thousands  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  thrown  together  in  horrible 
confusion.  But  it  is  needless  to  dwell  on  such 
scenes ;  since  the  history  of  all  nations — since  even 
the  history  of  modern  Europe,  presents  us  with  spec¬ 
tacles  of  horror  scarcely  inferior  to  those  I  have  now 
described,  and  with  moral  agents  who  bear  too  strik¬ 
ing1  a  resemblance  to  those  whose  actions  are  com- 
pletely  subversive  of  the  second  commandment  ol 
the  law,  “  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy¬ 
self.” 

Such,  then,  would  be  some  of  the  dreadful  effects 
which  would  flow  from  a  subversion  of  the  second 
principle  of  the  moral  law,  if  we  could  suppose  that 
organical  intelligences,  not  endowed  with  immortal 
bodies ,  could  exist  for  any  length  of  time  amidst 
such  scenes  of  depravity  and  wretchedness.  But  it 
is  more  than  probable,  that  such  a  state  of  society 
could  not  long  subsist  in  such  a  world  as  we  now 
inhabit,  and  among  rational  beings  whose  corporeal 
organization  is  constructed  after  the  model  of  the 
human  frame.  The  whole  mass  of  society,  in  every 
land,  would  soon  be  transformed  into  one  boundless 
scene  of  anarchy  and  confusion ;  every  one  would 
flee  from  his  neighbour  as  from  an  infernal  fiend ;  a 
war  of  universal  extermination  would  commence; 
nothing  would  be  beheld  over  all  the  regions  of  the 
globe  but  spectacles  of  rapine,  devastation,  and  de¬ 
struction;  and  nothing  would  be  heard  among  all 


376 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  ei<rht  hundred  millions  of  its  inhabitants  but  the 

D 

voice  of  execration,  and  the  yells  of  lamentation,  and 
mourning,  and  woe — till  at  length  every  beauty  which 
now  adorns  the  face  of  nature  would  be  effaced,  every 
fertile  field  transformed  into  a  desert,  everv  human 
habitation  overturned,  and  every  inhabitant  of  the 
earth  sunk  into  oblivion.* 

This  is  one  of  the  most  terrible  representations 
we  can  form  of  the  horrors  of  the  future  state  of 
punishment,  where  malevolent  passions  rage  without 
control;  and  the  considerations  now  stated,  demon¬ 
strate  that  the  man  who  is  actuated  by  a  principle  of 
hostility  towards  his  neighbour,  is  training  and  pre¬ 
paring  himself  for  becoming  an  inhabitant  of  that 
dreary  region,  “  where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and 
the  fire”  of  malevolence  and  revenge  “is  never 
quenched.”  We  are  thus  instructed,  that  if  there 
be  a  future  state  at  all,  it  must ,  from  the  very  nature 
and  constitution  of  things,  be  a  state  of  misery  and 
horror  to  every  man  whose  mind  is  under  the  unre¬ 
strained  dominion  of  depraved  affections  and  malig¬ 
nant  passions;  so  that  there  is  no  possibility,  in  such 
a  case,  of  escaping  “  the  wrath  to  come,”  unless  the 


*  Whether  such  scenes  as  some  of  those  now  described  may 
be  realised  in  the  future  state  of  punishment*  or  whether  the 
principles  of  the  moral  law  will  be  entirely  subverted  among  the 
miserable  beings  who  are  subjected  to  that  punishment,  it  be¬ 
comes  not  us  positively  to  determine.  But  we  can  scarcely  con¬ 
ceive  a  more  horrible  idea  than  that  of  intelligent  beings  acting 
uniformly  from  principles  of  pure  malevolence,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  endowed  with  immortal  bodies,  capable  of  sensations  similar 
to  those  we  now  feel.  In  this  case,  every  accumulated  wound 
received  from  malignant  associates,  would  bean  additional  source 
of  pain  and  misery,  which  would  continually  increase,  without  any 
prospect  of  relief  from  the  stroke  of  death. 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


177 


moral  constitution  of  the  intelligent  universe  were 
entirely  subverted. 

If,  then,  it  appears  that  such  dismal  consequences 
would  flow  from  the  subversion  of  this  principle  or 
law,  it  is  obvious  that  the  law  itself  must  be  “  holy, 
just,  and  good,”  and  calculated  to  promote  the  per- 
fectibn  and  happiness  of  all  created  intelligences 
among  whom  it  is  found  in  full  operation.  And,  in 
a  world  such  as  ours,  where  this  law  is  partially  vio¬ 
lated,  the  consequent  misery  which  is  suffered,  will 
be  nearly  in  proportion  to  the  extent  to  which  this 
violation  is  carried,  and  to  the  number  of  individuals 
who  are  actuated  by  a  principle  of  opposition  to  its 
requirements. 

In  like  manner  it  might  be  shown,  that  the  most 
dismal  effects  would  be  produced,  were  the  first  prin¬ 
ciple  of  the  moral  law  reversed,  and  the  malevolence 
of  intelligent  beings  directed  towards  their  Creator. 
In  this  case,  instead  of  assembled  multitudes  joining 
in  solemn  adorations  of  the  Divine  perfections,  the 
God  of  heaven  would  be  blasphemed,  and  his  name 
abhorred  in  every  land.  Instead  of  reverence  and 
profound  humility  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  a  spirit 
of  pride  and  independency,  and  an  impatience  of  con¬ 
trol,  would  pervade  every  mind.  Instead  of  thanks¬ 
givings  for  the  bounties  of  his  providence,  the  basest 
ingratitude  would  be  manifested,  and  the  most  marked 
contempt  of  all  his  favours.  Instead  of  cordial  sub¬ 
mission  to  his  wise  arrangements,  nothing  but  mur- 
murings  and  repinings  would  be  heard,  and  the  most 
presumptuous  decisions  uttered  against  all  the  dis¬ 
pensations  of  his  providence.  Instead  of  complacency 
and  delight  in  his  character  and  operations,  insults 

h  3 


178 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  reproaches  would  burst  forth  at  every  display  of 
his  wisdom,  justice,  and  omnipotence.  Instead  of 
admiration  of  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  his  won¬ 
derful  works,  feelings  of  contempt  would  be  mingled 
with  all  their  surveys  of  the  operations  of  nature. 
His  omnipotence  would  be  disregarded,  his  benevo¬ 
lence  called  in  question  or  despised,  and  his  wisdom 
and  intelligence  arraigned.  Like  Alphonso,  king  of 
Castile,  they  would  not  hesitate  to  affirm,  tc  If  we 
had  been  of  God’s  privy  council  when  he  made  the 
world,  we  would  have  advised  him  better.”  Under 
the  influence  of  such  diabolical  dispositions,  the  har¬ 
mony  of  the  visible  creation  would  be  attempted  to 
he  deranged,  and  its  beauties  defaced,  in  so  far  as 
their  limited  powers  would  be  able  to  effect.  The 
fields  would  be  stripped  of  their  verdure  ;  the  forests 
would  be  torn  up  by  the  roots,  and  strewed  in  shape¬ 
less  masses  along  the  plains ;  the  vegetable  beauties 
which  now  diversify  the  rural  landscape  would  be 
effaced;  the  rivers  would  be  turned  out  of  their 
courses  to  overflow  the  adjacent  plains,  and  to  trans¬ 
form  them  into  stagnant  marshes  and  standing  pools ; 
the  air  would  be  impregnated  writh  pestilential  vapours; 
and  the  grand,  and  beautiful,  and  picturesque  scenes 
of  nature,  would  be  stripped  of  their  glory,  leaving 
nothing  but  naked  rocks  and  barren  deserts  covered 
with  the  wrecks  of  nature,  to  mark  the  operations  of 
malevolence. 

Such  would  be  the  dispositions  and  the  conduct  of 
intelligent  beings,  wTere  the  first  principle  of  the  moral 
law  reversed,  and  their  actions  regulated  by  a  prin¬ 
ciple  of  malevolence ;  and  such,  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree,  are  the  dispositions  of  every  man  in  whose 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


179 


heart  the  love  of  God  has  never  taken  up  its  resi¬ 
dence.  Revolting  as  the  scenes  now  supposed  must 
appear  to  every  mind  possessed  of  moral  feeling, 
they  must  be  admitted  to  be  the  necessary  results  ot 
malignant  passions  raging  without  control.  And  if 
there  be  any  region  of  creation  in  which  pure  male¬ 
volence  actuates  its  inhabitants,  we  must  suppose 
the  restraining  influence  of  the  Almighty  interposed, 
to  preserve  their  malignant  operations  within  those 
bounds  which  are  consistent  with  the  plans  of  his 
moral  government,  and  the  general  happiness  of  the 
intelligent  universe. 

That  principles  have  existed  among  mankind, 
which,  if  left  to  operate  without  restraint,  would  pro¬ 
duce  all  the  effects  now  supposed,  appears  from  the 
description  which  the  Apostle  Paul  gives  of  the  char¬ 
acter  of  the  Gentile  world,  and  even  of  that  portion 
of  it  which  had  been  brought  into  a  civilized  state. 
He  declares  that  “  they  did  not  like  to  retain  God 
in  their  knowledge,  hut  changed  the  glory  of  the 
incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corrup¬ 
tible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts,  and 
creeping  things;”  that  they  were  filled  u  with  all  un¬ 
righteousness,  fornication,  wickedness,  covetousness, 
maliciousness that  they  were  “  full  of  envy,  mur¬ 
der,  deceit,  malignity,  backbiters,  haters  of  God , 
despiteful,  proud,  boasters,  inventors  of  evil  things, 
disobedient  to  parents ;  without  understanding,  with¬ 
out  natural  affection ,  implacable ,  unmerciful.  Who, 
knowing  the  judgment  of  God,  that  they  who 
commit  such  things  are  worthy  of  death,  not  only  do 
the  same,  but  have  pleasure  in  them  that  do  them.” 
Were  practices  and  passions  of  this  description, 


180 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


which  are  all  directly  opposed  to  the  principle  of  be¬ 
nevolence,  to  extend  their  influence  without  control, 
the  universe  would  soon  be  transformed  into  a  bound¬ 
less  scene  of  devastation  and  sterility,  of  misery  and 
horror,  of  lamentation  and  woe. 

Turning  our  eyes  from  such  revolting  scenes,  I 
shall  now  direct  the  attention  of  my  readers  to  a 
more  pleasing  picture,  and  endeavour  to  delineate 
some  of  the  happy  effects  which  would  naturally  re¬ 
sult  from  a  complete  conformity  in  thought  and  ac¬ 
tion  to  the  principles  of  the  divine  law. 


SECTION  V. 

Effects  which  ivould  flow  from  the  full  operation  of  the 
principle  of  Love  to  God  and  to  Man. 

Were  this  divine  principle  in  full  operation  among 
the  intelligences  that  people  our  globe,  this  world 
would  be  transformed  into  a  paradise,  the  moral  de¬ 
sert  would  be  changed  into  a  fruitful  field,  and  “  blos¬ 
som  as  the  rose,”  and  Eden  would  again  appear  in 
all  its  beauty  and  delights.  Fraud,  deceit,  and  cun¬ 
ning,  with  all  their  concomitant  train  of  evils,  would 
no  longer  walk  rampant  in  every  land.  Prosecutions, 
law-suits,  and  the  innumerable  vexatious  litigations 
which  now  disturb  the  peace  of  society,  would  cease 
from  among  men.  Every  debt  would  be  punctually 
paid  ;  every  commodity  sold  at  its  just  value  ;  every 
article  of  merchandise  exhibited  in  its  true  character; 
every  promise  faithfully  performed;  every  dispute 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


181 


amicably  settled ;  every  man’s  character  held  in  esti¬ 
mation  ;  every  rogue  and  cheat  banished  from  so¬ 
ciety;  and  every  jail,  bridewell,  and  house  of  correc¬ 
tion,  would  either  be  swept  away,  or  transformed  into 
the  abodes  of  honesty,  industry,  and  peace.  Injus¬ 
tice  and  oppression  would  no  longer  walk  triumphant 
through  the  world,  while  the  poor,  the  widow,  and 
the  fatherless,  were  groaning  under  the  iron  rod  of 
those  who  had  deprived  them  of  every  comfort.  No 
longer  would  the  captive  be  chained  to  a  dungeon, 
and  doomed  to  count,  in  sorrow  and  solitude,  the 
many  long  days  and  years  he  has  been  banished  from 
the  light  of  day  and  the  society  of  his  dearest  friends. 
No  longer  should  we  see  a  hardhearted  creditor 
doom  a  poor  unfortunate  man,  for  the  sake  of  a  few 
shillings  or  pounds,  to  rot  in  a  jail,  while  his  family, 
deprived  of  his  industry,  was  pining  away  in  wretch¬ 
edness  and  want.  No  longer  should  we  hear  the 
harsh  creaking  of  iron  doors,  ponderous  bolts,  and  the 
clanking  of  the  chains  of  criminals ;  nor  the  sighs 
and  groans  of  the  poor  slave,  fainting  under  the  lash 
of  a  cruel  master.  The  bands  of  the  oppressed  would 
be  loosed,  the  captives  set  at  liberty,  the  iron  fetters 
burst  asunder,  and  a  universal  jubilee  proclaimed 
throughout  every  land.  The  haunts  of  riot  and  de¬ 
bauchery  would  be  forsaken,  and  their  inmates  hissed 
from  the  abodes  of  men. 

The  tongue  of  the  slanderer,  and  the  whisperings 
of  the*  backbiter,  would  no  longer  be  heard  in  their 
malicious  attempts  to  sow  the  seeds  of  discord  and 
contention  among  brethren.  Falsehood  in  all  its 
ramifications,  with  the  numerous  train  of  evils  it  now- 
produces,  would  be  banished  from  the  intercourses  of 


182 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


society;  nor  would  treachery  prove  the  ruin  of  fami¬ 
lies  aud  societies,  and  interrupt  the  harmony  of  the 
commercial  and  the  moral  world.  No  longer  should 
we  hear  of  the  embezzling  of  property  by  unfaithful 
servants ;  nor  of  the  blasted  hopes,  the  cruel  disap¬ 
pointments,  and  the  ruin  of  credit  and  of  reputation 
now  produced  by  the  votaries  of  falsehood.  £C  The 
lips  of  truth  would  be  established  for  ever,”  and  the 
liar  and  deceiver  would  be  hissed  to  the  shades  of 
hell.  Our  property  would  remain  sacred  and  secure 
from  the  thief  and  the  midnight  robber,  and  our  per¬ 
sons  from  the  attacks  of  the  murderer  and  the  assas¬ 
sin.  We  should  no  longer  hesitate  to  prosecute  our 
journeys  by  day  or  by  night  for  fear  of  the  footpad  or 
the  highwayman  ;  but  should  recognise  every  pas¬ 
senger  as  a  friend  and  protector.  Plunder  and  de¬ 
vastation  would  cease  from  the  earth;  “  violence  would 
no  more  be  heard  in  our  land,  nor  wasting  nor  destruc¬ 
tion  in  all  our  borders.”  Execrations  and  malicious 
insults  would  never  harrow  up  the  feelings  of  our 
fellow-men,  nor  would  a  single  instance  of  revenge 
occur  among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

Pride,  which  now  stalks  about  with  stately  steps 
and  lofty  looks,  surveying  surrounding  fellow-crea¬ 
tures  with  feelings  of  contempt,  would  be  for  ever 
banished  from  the  world.  Ambition  would  no  longer 
wade  through  slaughter  to  a  throne,  nor  trample  on 
the  rights  of  an  injured  people.  Wars  would  cease 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  the  instruments  of  de¬ 
struction  would  be  beaten  into  ploughshares  and 
pruninghooks.  That  scourge  which  has  drenched 
the  earth  with  human  gore — which  has  convulsed 
every  nation  under  heaven — which  has  produced 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


183 


tenfold  more  misery  than  all  the  destructive  elements 
of  nature,  and  which  has  swept  from  existence  so 
many  millions  of  mankind — would  be  regarded  as 
the  eternal  disgrace  of  the  human  character,  and  the 
most  shocking  display  of  depravity  in  the  annals  of 
our  race.  No  longer  should  we  hear  “  the  sound 
of  the  trumpet  and  the  alarm  of  war,”  the  confused 
noise  of  <e  the  horseman  and  the  bowman,”  and  of 
mighty  armies  encamping  around  “  the  city  of  the 
innocent,”  to  hurl  against  its  walls  the  instruments 
of  destruction.  No  longer  should  we  behold  the 
fires  blazing  on  the  mountain-tops,  to  spread  the 
alarm  of  invading  armies ;  nor  the  city  which  was 
once  full  of  inhabitants  “  sitting  solitary,”  without  a 
voice  being  heard  within  its  dwellings,  but  the  sighs 
of  the  disconsolate,  and  the  groans  of  the  dying. 
Human  wolves,  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  nations, 
would  cease  to  prowl  among  men.  Nation  would 
not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither  would  they 
learn  war  any  more.  The  instruments  of  cruelty, 
the  stake,  the  rack,  the  knout,  and  the  lash,  would 
no  longer  lacerate  and  torture  the  wretched  culprit ; 
cannons  and  guns,  and  swords  and  darts,  would  be 
forged  no  more;  but  the  influence  of  reason  and 
affection  would  preserve  order  and  harmony  through¬ 
out  every  department  of  society.  The  traveller, 
when  landing  on  distant  shores,  and  on  the  islands 
of  the  ocean,  would  no  longer  be  assailed  with  stones, 
spears,  arrows,  and  other  instruments  of  death,  and 
be  obliged  to  flee  from  the  haunts  of  his  own  species 
to  take  refuge  in  the  lion’s  den,  or  on  the  bosom  of 
the  deep ;  but  would  be  welcomed  as  a  friend  and  a 
messenger  of  peace.  The  animosities  which  now 


184 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


prevail  among  religious  bodies  would  cease ;  the 
nicknames  by  which  the  different  sects  of  religion¬ 
ists  have  been  distinguished,  would  be  erased  from 
the  vocabulary  of  every  language.  Christians  would 
feel  ashamed  of  those  jealousies  and  evil  surmisings 
which  they  have  so  long  manifested  towards  each 
other;  and  an  affectionate  and  harmonious  inter¬ 
course  would  be  established  among  all  the  churches 
of  the  saints. 

These,  and  a  thousand  other  evils,  which  now 
render  this  world  a  vast  wilderness  of  wretchedness 
and  sorrow,  would  be  completely  eradicated,  were 
the  principle  of  holy  love  in  incessant  operation  ; 
and,  in  their  place,  a  scene  of  loveliness  and  moral 
beauty  would  burst  upon  the  view,  which  would 
diffuse  joy  and  extatic  delight  through  every  bosom. 

Every  family  would  become  a  mansion  of  peace 
and  love — a  temple  consecrated  to  the  God  of  hea¬ 
ven,  from  which  the  incense  of  prayer,  and  praise, 
and  pious  aspirations,  would  daily  ascend  to  the  throne 
above.  Domestic  broils  and  contentions  would  cease; 
brothers  and  sisters  would  be  cemented  in  the  closest 
bonds  of  holy  affection;  the  law  of  kindness  would 
swell  their  hearts,  and  dwell  upon  their  tongues; 
serenity  and  joy,  and  a  desire  to  please,  would  appear 
on  every  countenance ;  a  mutual  exchange  of  senti¬ 
ment  and  generous  affections  would  circulate  joy  from 
father  to  son,  and  from  children  to  parents ;  and  all 
the  members  of  the  family  circle,  animated  by  the 
same  benevolent  spirit,  would  “  dwell  together  in 
unity.”  To  communicate  useful  knowledge,  to  train 
each  other  to  piety  and  virtue,  to  point  out  the  dif¬ 
ferent  spheres  in  which  benevolence  should  act,  to 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


185 


assist  in  every  kindly  office,  to  sooth  each  other  in 
distress,  and  to  direct  each  other  in  the  path  to  an 
endless  life,  would  be  the  unceasing  desire  and  en¬ 
deavour  of  every  inmate  of  the  family  mansion.  From 
every  such  mansion,  the  radiations  of  love  would  fly 
from  family  to  family,  from  one  hamlet  and  village 
to  another,  from  one  town  and  city  to  another,  from 
one  nation  to  another,  and  from  one  continent  to 
another,  till  all  the  families  of  the  earth  were  con¬ 
verted  into  “  the  dwellings  of  the  God  of  Jacob.” 

In  larger  communities,  the  principle  of  love  would 
effectuate  a  mighty  change.  That  spirit  of  jealousy 
and  selfishness,  of  avarice  and  monopoly,  which  now 
produces  so  many  jarrings,  contentions,  and  collisions 
of  interests  among  town- councils,  corporations,  and 
other  smaller  associations,  would  cease  to  operate. 
Every  one  would  see  and  feel,  that  the  prosperity 
of  the  whole  is  also  the  prosperity  of  every  portion 
of  the  general  community.  Boisterous  disputations, 
sneers,  hisses,  reproaches,  and  angry  passions,  would 
be  banished  from  the  deliberations  of  every  society ; 
and  candour,  good-will,  and  kindly  affections,  would 
animate  the  minds  of  all  its  members.  Righteous 
laws  would  be  enacted,  and  distributive  justice  equi¬ 
tably  administered.  Every  nation  would  form  one 
great  and  harmonious  family  ;  all  its  members  being- 
linked  together  by  the  ties  of  kindness  and  reciprocal 
affection.  Its  magistrates  would  become  “  nursing 

o  o 

fathers”  to  the  whole  body  of  the  people,  to  promote 
their  domestic  comfort,  their  knowledge,  and  their 
general  improvement;  and  throughout  all  ranks  of 
the  community,  nothing  would  appear  but  submission, 
obedience,  reverence,  and  respect. 


186 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


The  mutual  intercourse  of  nations  would  be  estab¬ 
lished  on  the  principles  of  friendship  and  affection, 
and  on  the  basis  of  immutable  justice  and  eternal 
truth.  Raised  above  petty  jealousies,  secure  from 
the  alarms  of  war,  and  viewing  each  other  as  branches 
of  the  same  great  family,  and  as  children  of  the  same 
Almighty  Parent — every  nation  and  empire  would 
feel  an  interest  in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  an¬ 
other,  and  would  rejoice  in  beholding  its  happiness 
and  improvement.  Commerce  would  be  free  and 
unshackled,  and  the  productions  of  nature  and  art 
would  quickly  be  transported  into  every  nation,  from 
every  clime.  Travellers  and  navigators  would  visit 
foreign  shores,  without  danger  or  alarm  from  in¬ 
sidious  or  hostile  tribes,  and  would  land  on  the  most 
obscure  island  of  the  ocean,  fully  assured  of  protec¬ 
tion  and  comfort,  and  the  welcome  of  friendship. 
Every  vessel  that  ploughed  the  deep  would  become 
a  floating  temple,  from  which  incense  and  a  pure 
offering  would  daily  ascend  to  the  Ruler  of  the  skies ; 
and  its  mariners  would  join,  with  one  heart  and  one 
mind,  in  imploring  upon  each  other  the  blessing  and 
protection  of  the  God  of  heaven.  The  beams  of 
love  and  affection  would  gladden  every  land,  and  add 
a  new  lustre  to  the  natural  beauties  of  its  landscape. 
The  inhabitants  of  China  and  Japan  would  be  hailed 
as  benefactors  when  they  arrived  on  our  coasts  with 
their  cargoes  of  tea,  sugar,  silk,  and  porcelain ;  and 
the  natives  of  France  and  Great  Britain,  when  they 
transported  their  manufactures  to  these  distant  em¬ 
pires,  would  be  welcomed  as  friends,  and  conducted, 
without  the  least  jealousy  or  suspicion,  through  all 
their  cities  and  rural  scenes,  to  survey  the  beauties 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


]  8*7 


of  nature  and  art  with  which  those  countries  are 
adorned.  The  natives  of  Papua  and  New  Zealand 
would  land  on  our  shores,  without  spears  or  darts,  or 
other  hostile  weapons,  and  be  recognised  as  friends 
and  brethren;  and  our  countrymen,  when  traversing 
the  different  regions  of  the  globe,  would  always  meet 
with  a  cordial  reception  when  landing  on  their  coasts. 
For  national  jealousies  and  antipathies  would  cease ; 
and,  instead  of  selfish  and  revengeful  passions,  rea¬ 
son  would  be  cultivated,  and  its  powers  expanded; 
the  smile  of  benevolence  and  the  hand  of  beneficence 
would  gladden  the  inhabitants  of  every  clime,  and 
“  righteousness  and  praise  would  spring  forth  before 
all  the  nations.” 

Under  the  benignant  influence  of  the  spirit  of 
love,  useful  intelligence  of  every  description  would  be 
rapidly  and  extensively  communicated ;  the  sciences 
would  be  improved,  and  carried  forward  to  perfec¬ 
tion  ;  the  jealousies  which  now  exist  among  scientific 
men  would  be  extinguished,  and  every  fact  on  which 
science  is  built  would  be  impartially  investigated, 
and  exhibited  in  its  true  aspect ;  the  arts  would 
flourish,  and  be  carried  to  the  highest  pitch  of  im¬ 
provement  ;  no  secrets  in  arts  or  trades  would  be 
locked  up  in  the  breast  of  the  discoverer ;  but  every 
useful  hint  would  at  once  be  communicated  to  the 
public ;  every  invention  would  uniformly  be  applied 
to  the  promotion  of  a  benevolent  object,  and  the  arts 
of  destruction  would  cease  to  be  cultivated,  and  be 
held  in  universal  detestation.  Under  the  hand  of 
art  the  habitations  of  men  would  be  beautified  and 
adorned,  to  correspond  with  the  purity  and  improve¬ 
ment  of  their  moral  feelings,  and  a  new  lustre  would 


188 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


be  thrown  over  the  face  of  nature  :  Towns  and  vil¬ 
lages  would  be  built  on  spacious  plans,  divested  of  all 
that  gloom  and  filth  which  now  disgrace  the  abodes 
of  millions  of  human  beings,  and  which  form  an  em¬ 
blem  of  their  physical  and  moral  wretchedness  ;  and 
the  landscape  of  every  country  would  present  a  scene 
of  grandeur,  fertility,  and  picturesque  beauty  :  Those 
immense  treasures  which  have  been  so  long  expended 
in  the  arts  of  war  and  devastation  would  be  employed 
in  turning  immense  deserts  into  fruitful  fields,  in 
beautifying  the  aspect  of  rural  nature,  in  planting 
orchards  and  vineyards,  in  forming  spacious  roads, 
in  establishing  seminaries  of  instruction,  in  erecting 
comfortable  habitations  for  the  lower  orders  of  society, 
and  promoting  their  domestic  enjoyment.  What  an 
immense  variety  of  objects  of  this  description  would 
be  accomplished  within  the  limits  of  Great  Britain 
by  means  of  a  thousand  millions  of  pounds,  which 
we  all  know  have  been  lately  expended,  within  the 
space  of  twenty-four  years,  in  carrying  forward  the 
work  of  destruction  ! 

Under  the  influence  of  the  reign  of  love,  the  in¬ 
struction  of  all  ranks,  in  every  department  of  useful 
knowledge,  would  be  rapidly  promoted ;  ignorance 
and  error,  with  all  their  attendant  evils,  would  soon 
evanish  from  the  minds  even  of  the  lowest  orders  of 
society;  seminaries  would  be  erected,  and  established 
on  a  liberal  basis,  for  instructing  every  class  of  man¬ 
kind  in  all  those  branches  of  science  which  tend  to 
expand  the  capacity  of  the  human  mind,  and  to  ex¬ 
tend  the  range  of  its  contemplations ;  the  hours  of 
active  labour  would  be  abridged,  in  order  that  they 
might  have  leisure  for  the  cultivation  of  their  under- 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


189 


standing,  and  the  exercise  of  their  moral  powers. 
To  add  to  their  stock  of  knowledge,  and  to  increase 
the  sum  of  happiness  around  them,  would  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  interesting  and  as  delightful  as  it  now  is 
to  the  sons  of  mammon  to  “  add  house  to  house, 
and  field  to  field,”  and  to  riot  on  the  gains  of  avarice: 
Societies  would  be  formed  for  mutual  improvement 
in  knowledge  and  virtue,  lectures  delivered  on  every 
interesting  and  useful  subject,  experiments  performed 
to  illustrate  the  order  and  mechanism  of  nature,  and 
instruments  of  every  description  procured  for  exhibit¬ 
ing  the  wisdom  and  omnipotence  of  the  Creator, 
and  the  glories  of  the  universe :  The  revelation  of 
heaven  would  be  studied  with  intelligence  in  all  its 
aspects  and  bearings,  and  every  passion,  affection,  and 
active  exertion,  directed  by  its  moral  requisitions. 
The  human  mind  thus  trained  and  carried  forward 
in  wisdom  and  holiness,  would  shed  a  moral  radiance 
around  it,  and  be  gradually  prepared  for  entering  on 
a  higher  scene  of  contemplation  and  enjoyment. 

Among  all  ranks  of  men,  a  spirit  of  selfishness 
and  avarice  would  be  extinguished,  and  in  its  stead 
a  spirit  of  noble  generosity  and  beneficence  would 
pervade  the  whole  mass  of  society.  That  divine 
maxim  inculcated  by  our  Saviour,  “  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive,”  would  be  engraven  on  every 
heart,  and  appear  in  every  action.  This  sublime 
principle  forms  a  prominent  trait  in  the  character  of 
God,  and  in  all  his  arrangements  towards  his  crea¬ 
tures  ;  and  it  animates  the  minds  of  superior  intelli¬ 
gences,  in  their  associations  with  each  other,  and  in 
their  occasional  intercourses  with  the  inhabitants  of 
our  world.  In  imitation  of  these  glorious  beings,  the 


190 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


human  race  would  consider  it  as  the  grand  end  of 
their  existence,  not  merely  to  acquire  wealth,  know¬ 
ledge,  or  power,  but  to  employ  such  acquisitions  in 
the  unceasing  diffusion  of  beneficence  to  all  around. 
To  communicate  happiness  throughout  all  the  ranks 
of  their  fellow-men  with  whom  they  mingle,  to  sooth 
the  disconsolate  and  the  desponding,  to  relieve  the 
distressed,  to  instruct  the  ignorant,  to  expand  the 
intellect,  to  animate  and  direct  the  benevolent  affec¬ 
tions,  to  increase  the  enjoyments  of  the  lower  orders 
of  the  community,  to  direct  the  opening  minds  of  the 
young,  to  lead  them  by  gentle  steps  into  the  paths 
of  wisdom  and  holiness,  and  to  promote  every  scheme 
which  has  a  relation  to  the  public  good,  would  form 
the  constant  aim  of  all  conditions  of  men  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest.  Every  house  would  be  open 
to  the  weary  and  benighted  traveller,  every  heart 
would  welcome  him  to  the  refreshments  and  repose 
it  afforded,  every  countenance  would  beam  benignity, 
every  comfort  would  be  afforded,  every  wish  anti¬ 
cipated  ;  and  every  stranger  thus  entertained,  would 
“  bless  the  mansion,”  and  implore  the  benediction  of 
Heaven  on  all  its  inmates.  The  houseless  child  of 
want  would  no  longer  wander  amidst  scenes  of  plenty, 
tattered  and  forlorn,  pinched  with  poverty,  exposed 
to  the  piercing  blasts,  and  obliged  to  repose  under 
the  open  canopy  of  heaven,  for  want  of  more  com¬ 
fortable  shelter ;  the  poor  would  soon  cease  out  of 
the  land,  every  one  would  be  active  and  industrious, 
and  every  one  would  enjoy  a  comfortable  portion  of 
the  bounties  of  Providence.  And  what  a  happy 
world  would  it  be  were  hindness  and  affection  the 
characteristic  of  all  its  inhabitants  !  The  face  of  na- 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


191 


ture  would  wear  a  more  cheering  aspect,  “  the  desert 
would  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,”  the  flowers 
would  look  more  gay,  the  “little  hills”  would  be 
encircled  with  joy,  the  light  of  heaven  would  appear 
more  glorious  and  transporting,  a  thousand  delight¬ 
ful  emotions  would  spring  up  in  the  mind  amidst 
every  rural  scene,  and  every  social  intercourse  would 
be  a  source  of  unmiimled  bliss.  Paradise  would  be 
restored,  heaven  would  descend  to  earth,  and  an  em¬ 
blem  presented  of  the  joys  of  the  blessed  above. 

O  blissful  and  auspicious  era  !  when  wilt  thou 
arrive,  to  still  the  restless  agitation  of  malignant 
passions,  to  promote  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will 
among  men  ?  When  will  the  benevolence  of  angels 
and  archangels  descend  to  dwell  with  man  upon  earth, 
to  expel  selfishness  from  the  human  breast,  to  hush 
every  tumultuous  passion,  and  to  restore  tranquillity 
among  the  bewildered  race  of  Adam  ?  When  will 
the  spirit  of  love,  in  all  its  beneficent  energies,  de¬ 
scend  from  the  Father  of  lights,  to  arrest  the  con¬ 
vulsions  of  nations,  to  heal  the  wounds  of  suffering 
humanity,  to  transform  fields  of  slaughter  into  regions 
of  beneficence,  to  soften  the  ferocious  tempers  of 
“  the  people  who  delight  in  war,”  to  unite,  in  one 
holy  and  harmonious  society,  men  of  every  language 
and  of  every  tribe? — Not  till  Christianity  shall  have 
shed  its  benign  influence  on  every  land;  not  till 
“  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,” 
and  the  cannons,  swords,  and  battle-axes  of  the 
warrior  shall  be  broken  to  shivers,  and  forged  into 
ploughshares  and  pruninghooks.  “  Then  shall  the 
wolf  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie 
down  with  the  kid,  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion 


192 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  the  fatling  together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them.” — “  Then  judgment  shall  dwell  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  and  righteousness  in  the  fruitful  field.  And 
the  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace,  and  the 
effect  of  righteousness  quietness  and  assurance  for 
ever.  And  all  people  shall  dwell  in  peaceable  habi¬ 
tations,  and  in  sure  dwellings,  and  in  quiet  resting- 
places.” 

In  fine,  under  the  reign  of  love,  most  of  the  evils, 
both  physical  and  moral,  under  which  men  are  now 
doomed  to  suffer,  would  be  either  greatly  mitigated 
or  completely  abolished.  It  is  scarcely  too  much  to 
affirm,  that  nine-tenths  of  all  the  evils  that  affect 
humanity,  are  the  result  of  the  malice  and  unkind¬ 
ness  of  mankind  towards  each  other.  If  all  the  sor¬ 
row  and  wretchedness  produced  by  fraud,  falsehood, 
avarice,  extortion,  injustice,  oppression,  perjury,  se¬ 
duction,  treachery,  litigations,  slander,  pride,  ambi¬ 
tion,  revenge,  robbery,  murder,  plunder,  and  devas¬ 
tation,  were  removed, — little  would  remain  besides 
the  incidental  evils  which  occasionally  flow  from  the 
elements  of  nature.  And  even  these  would  be 
greatly  mitigated  by  the  benevolent  operations  of  art, 
directed  by  the  discoveries  of  science.  By  clearing 
the  surface  of  the  globe  of  immense  forests,  by  drain¬ 
ing  stagnant  marshes,  and  by  the  universal  cultiva¬ 
tion  and  improvement  of  the  soil,  the  seasons  would 
be  meliorated,  and  storms  and  tempests  would  be 
deprived  of  their  wonted  violence  and  fury  ;  and  the 
partial  physical  evils  which  still  remained,  would  be 
almost  annihilated  to  the  sufferer  by  the  sympathy 
and  tenderness,  and  the  kind  and  fostering  hand  of 
universal  benevolence.  Where  virtue,  temperance, 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


193 


serenity  of  mind,  and  social  joy  reigned  triumph¬ 
ant,  and  where  none  of  the  ghastly  phantoms 
of  scepticism  and  superstition  haunted  the  mind, 
disease  would  seldom  invade  the  human  frame ;  the 
span  of  mortal  existence  would  be  extended ;  death 
would  become  calm  and  tranquil,  and  every  one 
would  “  come  to  his  grave,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn 
cometh  in  in  his  season.”  In  short,  under  the  in¬ 
fluence  of  the  emanations  of  love,  malignity  would  be 
transformed  into  benevolence,  vice  into  virtue,  op¬ 
pression  into  justice,  cruelty  into  sympathy  and  ten¬ 
derness,  selfishness  into  beneficence,  contention  into 
unity  and  friendship,  fraud  into  honesty,  avarice  into 
generosity,  pride  into  humility,  wretchedness  into 
comfort,  sorrow  into  joy,  war  into  peace,  and  this 
spacious  globe,  now  the  receptacle  of  misery  and  vice, 
would  be  transformed  into  the  temple  of  concord, 
happiness,  and  peace. 

Such  are  some  of  the  beneficial  effects  which 
would  be  experienced  in  the  social  state  of  the  hu¬ 
man  race,  were  a  principle  of  benevolence  to  pervade 
the  minds  of  mankind.  The  immense  mass  of  moral 
evils  under  which  the  earth  now  groans  would  be 
removed,  the  moral  aspect  of  society,  in  every  nation, 
would  assume  a  new  lustre  of  loveliness  and  excel¬ 
lence,  and  nature  herself  would  be  arrayed  in  new 
robes  of  gracefulness  and  beauty.  For  it  would  be 
easy  to  show,  were  it  at  all  necessary,  that  every 
particular  now  stated,  and  a  thousand  similar  effects, 
would  be  the  natural  and  necessary  results  of  love , 
when  it  becomes  the  main  spring  of  human  actions. 

I  shall  now  shortly  trace  some  of  the  effects  of 

d.  2.  i 


194 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


love,  considered  as  directed  more  immediately  to¬ 
wards  God. 

Supreme  love  to  God  would  excite  complacency 
in  his  character  and  perfections;  and  piety,  in  all  its 
fervent  and  delightful  emotions,  would  naturally  flow 
upwards  to  the  fountain  of  felicity.  The  character 
of  Jehovah  would  be  venerated,  and  his  name  revered 
over  all  the  earth ;  trophies  would  be  erected  to  his 
honour,  and  temples  consecrated  to  his  worship  in 
every  land.  Crowds  of  worshippers,  beaming  be¬ 
nignity  and  devotion,  would  be  beheld  in  every 
region,  converging  towards  the  “  dwelling-place  ”  of 
the  Most  High,  and  encouraging  one  another  in 
such  language  as  this,  “  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up 
to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  house  of  the 
God  of  Jacob,  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways, 
and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths.”  With  enlightened 
views  of  the  attributes  of  Deity,  with  glowing  affec¬ 
tions,  and  with  profound  reverence,  would  they  join 
in  the  sublime  exercises  of  the  sanctuary,  and  listen 
to  the  intimations  of  his  will.  All  voices  would  be 
tuned  to  melodious  strains;  and  the  solemn  organ, 
and  those  instruments  of  music  which  are  now  de¬ 
voted  to  the  gratification  of  the  sons  of  folly  and 
dissipation,  would  harmonize  in  exciting  devotional 
affections,  and  in  swelling  the  song  of  salvation  “  to 
Him  who  sits  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb 
who  hath  redeemed  us  to  God  by  his  blood.”  Every 
landscape,  in  every  point  of  view,  would  present  a 
noble  edifice  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the  God  of 
II  eaven,  adorned  with  every  majestic  decoration  suit¬ 
able  to  its  sanctity,  and  rearing  its  spacious  dome 
above  all  the  surrounding  habitations  of  men.  Its 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


195 


gates  “  would  be  open  continually;  they  would  not 
be  shut  day  nor  night,”  that  men  might  have  access 
at  all  seasons  to  bring  “  incense  and  a  pure  offering  ” 
to  the  shrine  of  Jehovah.  The  whole  earth  would 
soon  be  converted  into  one  universal  temple,  sacred 
to  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
from  which,  thanksgiving  and  the  voice  of  melody 
would  ascend  to  heaven  without  intermission,  from 
the  regions  of  the  north  to  the  regions  of  the  south, 
and  “  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down 
of  the  same.”  Solemn  seasons  would  be  appointed, 
and  spacious  plains  consecrated,  for  the  assembling 
of  ten  thousands  of  “  the  sons  of  God,”  not  for  car¬ 
nage  and  devastation,  as  when  the  warrior  “  muster- 
eth  the  armies  to  the  battle,”  but  “  to  rehearse  the 
mighty  acts  of  the  Lord,”  to  exchange  sentiments 
and  feelings  of  affectionate  regard,  and  to  swell 
the  song  of  triumph  over  sin  and  misery,  with  the 
harmony  of  human  voices  and  musical  instruments, 
in  one  loud  chorus  to  the  skies.  Then  the  name 
of  Jehovah  would  be  One  throughout  all  the  earth. 
“  All  his  works  would  praise  him,  and  his  saints 
would  bless  him.  They  would  abundantly  utter  the 
memory  of  his  great  goodness,  they  would  speak  of 
the  glorious  honour  of  his  majesty,  and  sing  of  his 
righteousness.” 

Among  all  ranks  of  men  cordial  submission  to  the 
will  of  God,  and  contentment  under  the  arrano-e- 
ments  of  his  providence,  would  be  uniformly  mani¬ 
fested.  Every  one  would  consider  the  situation  in 
which  Providence  had  placed  him,  as  the  best  pos¬ 
sible  for  promoting  his  present  improvement  and  his 
future  felicity,  viewing  it  as  the  allotment  of  infinite 

i  2 


196 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


wisdom  and  benevolence.  In  adversity  lie  would 
sustain  his  afflictions  with  patience,  and  derive  from 
them  “  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness.”  In 
prosperity  he  would  acknowledge  God  as  the  source 
of  his  enjoyments,  and  devote  the  wealth  and  influ¬ 
ence  he  possessed  to  the  promotion  of  religion,  and 
the  best  interests  of  his  fellow-men.  By  day  and 
by  night,  and  at  every  returning  season,  the  over¬ 
flowings  of  gratitude,  in  every  heart,  would  burst 
forth  in  songs  of  thanksgiving  to  the  Giver  of  all 
good.  Every  comfort  would  be  recognised  as  “  com¬ 
ing  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,”  and  every 
pleasing  sensation  produced  by  the  scenery  of  nature, 
as  the  result  of  his  wisdom  and  beneficence.  His 
wonderful  works,  which  are  now  overlooked,  or  gazed 
at  with  apathy  by  nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  globe,  would  be  contemplated  with  enlightened 
understandings,  and  with  emotions  of  reverence,  ad¬ 
miration,  and  delight.  The  majestic  movements  of 
the  planetary  orbs,  the  glories  of  the  starry  sky,  the 
light  beaming  from  a  thousand  suns  through  the 
immeasurable  voids  of  space,  the  mighty  ocean  with 
all  its  wonders,  the  numerous  rivers  rolling  into  its 
abyss,  the  lofty  ranges  of  mountains  which  encircle 
the  earth,  the  treasures  of  the  fields,  the  riches  of 
the  mines,  the  beauties  which  adorn  the  hills  and 
plains,  the  wonders  of  the  atmosphere,  the  admirable 
structure  and  economy  of  the  numerous  tribes  of 
animated  beings — these,  and  thousands  of  other 
objects,  considered  as  manifestations  of  the  attributes 
of  Deity,  would  supply  topics  of  conversation  in 
every  social  circle,  on  which  every  heart  would  dwell 
with  increasing  delight.  “  They  would  speak  of 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


197 


the  glory  of  his  kingdom,  and  talk  of  his  power,  to 
make  known  to  the  sons  of  men  his  mighty  acts,  and 
the  glorious  majesty  of  his  kingdom.” — The  work 
of  human  redemption,  in  its  origin  and  progress,  in 
its  connections  and  bearings,  in  the  lustre  it  reflects 
on  the  perfections  of  the  Deity,  in  its  relation  to  the 
angelic  tribes,  and  in  its  glorious  and  happy  con¬ 
sequences  on  thousands  of  millions  of  human  beings 
throughout  an  eternal  round  of  existence — the  per¬ 
son  of  the  Redeemer,  his  amiable  character,  his  grace 
and  condescension,  and  the  glories  of  his  exalted 
state — the  joys  of  departed  saints,  the  general  resur¬ 
rection,  with  all  its  solemn  and  transporting  scenes, 
the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  and  the  bound¬ 
less  scene  of  grandeur  and  felicity  which  will  open 
to  the  view  when  death  shall  be  swallowed  up  in 
victory,  and  all  things  subjected  to  the  moral  order 
of  the  universe — would  afford  subjects  of  sublime 
contemplation,  and  themes  for  social  converse,  on 
which  enlightened  and  renovated  minds  would  ex¬ 
patiate  with  ever-growing  improvement,  and  ever¬ 
growing  pleasure. 

The  providential  dispensations  of  God  towards 
the  human  race,  would  form  another  subject  of  in¬ 
vestigation,  which  would  be  prosecuted  with  feelings 
of  astonishment,  admiration,  and  reverence.  The 
history  of  all  nations  would  be  carefully  perused — 
not  for  the  purpose  of  admiring  the  exploits  of  mighty 
conquerors  and  barbarous  heroes,  and  feasting  the 
imagination  on  spectacles  of  human  slaughter  and 
devastation — but  for  exciting  abhorrence  of  those 
depraved  passions  which  had  drenched  the  earth  with 
blood — for  drawing  forth  the  tear  of  pity  over  the 


198 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


graves  of  slaughtered  nations — for  stimulating  the 
exercise  of  those  holy  affections  which  restored  peace 
and  tranquillity  to  the  world — for  acquiring  a  dis¬ 
play  of  the  rectitude  of  the  moral  character  of  God, 
and  the  equity  of  his  administration  among  the  na¬ 
tions — for  tracing  the  accomplishment  of  divine  pre¬ 
dictions — for  illustrating  the  long-suffering  and  for¬ 
bearance  of  God,  and  for  exciting  admiration  of  that 
inscrutable  wisdom  by  which  the  whole  train  of 
events  was  conducted,  so  as  to  set  restraining  bounds 
to  the  wrath  of  man,  and  to  make  it  subservient  to 
the  introduction  of  the  reign  of  happiness  and  peace. 
In  all  the  revolutions  of  past  ages,  and  in  all  the 
events  that  daily  passed  in  review  before  them,  they 
would  uniformly  recognise  the  agency  and  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  that  Almighty  Being  “  who  doth  according 
to  his  will  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  and  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,”  and  who  is  carrying  for¬ 
ward  all  the  plans  of  his  government  to  a  glorious 
consummation. 

Every  useful  invention,  every  new  instrument  for 
investigating  the  operations  of  nature,  every  new 
discovery  in  the  earth  or  in  the  heavens,  every  ex¬ 
ploration  of  an  unknown  region  of  the  globe,  every 
branch  of  commerce  and  manufacture,  every  new 
mode  of  facilitating  labour  and  improving  the  pro¬ 
ductions  of  the  soil,  every  improvement  in  the  ease 
and  rapidity  of  travelling,  and  of  conveying  intelli¬ 
gence  from  one  region  to  another,  and  every  art  and 
science,  would  be  consecrated,  in  some  form  or  other, 
to  the  service  of  God,  and  to  the  accomplishment  of 
the  objects  of  general  benevolence.  One  grand 
diffusive  principle,  manifesting  itself  in  numberless 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


J  99 


ramifications,  would  pervade  the  whole  mass  of  so¬ 
ciety  ;  and  one  grand  aim,  the  honour  and  glory  of 
the  Creator,  and  the  diffusion  of  happiness  in  every 
direction,  and  among  every  rank  of  sentient  and  in¬ 
telligent  beings,  would  be  the  unceasing  endeavour 
of  men  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  languages. 
The  whole  mass  of  this  world’s  inhabitants  would 
appear  like  one  vast  celestial  army  marching  forward 
in  harmony  to  the  regions  of  bliss,  every  one,  in  his 
appointed  order,  passing  in  peace  and  tranquillity 
through  the  gates  of  death,  to  join  the  general  as¬ 
sembly  above,  and  to  augment  and  enliven  the  con¬ 
gregation  of  the  heavens. 

On  such  a  world  the  God  of  heaven  would  look 
down  with  complacency,  and  his  providential  care 
would  be  exercised  in  averting  those  physical  evils 
which  now  increase  the  moral  wretchedness  of  man¬ 
kind.  His  eye  would  be  continually  upon  them  for 
good,  and  his  ear  would  be  ever  open  to  their  re¬ 
quests.  Then  that  glorious  scene  presented  to  the 
view  of  the  apostle  John  would  be  fully  realized — 
“  Behold  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he 
will  dwell  with  them ;  and  they  shall  be  his  people, 
and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their 
God.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  curse,  neither 
sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more 
pain;  for  the  former  things  have  passed  away.”  To 
such  a  world  celestial  messengers  would  rejoice  to 
wing  their  downward  flight  on  messages  of  love. 
Their  visits,  which  have  been  “  few  and  far  between,” 
and  which  have  been  long  interrupted  by  the  male¬ 
volence  of  men,  would  be  again  resumed;  and  those 


200 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


“  morning  stars”  that  shouted  for  joy  when  this  fair 
creation  arose  into  existence,  would  be  filled  with 
unutterable  delight  when  they  beheld  moral  order 
restored,  and  the  smiles  of  universal  love  irradiating 
the  inhabitants  of  our  globe,  and  would  shout  even 
with  more  extatic  joy  than  they  did  before,  <£  Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will 
among  men  !” 

Alas  !  such  a  picture  as  that  which  we  have  now 
faintly  sketched,  has  never  yet  been  realized  in  the 
moral  aspect  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  world.  To 
the  eye  of  an  angelic  intelligence,  while  he  hovers 
over  our  globe  in  his  flight  through  the  planetary 
regions,  nothing  appears  but  a  vast  cloud  of  moral 
darkness  and  depravity,  with  here  and  there  only  a 
few  faint  radiations  of  truth  and  love  emerging  from 
the  general  gloom.  He  beholds  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  Africa,  from  the  shores  of  Barbary 
and  Egypt  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope — throughout 
the  vast  regions  of  Asia  and  its  numerous  islands,  and 
throughout  four-fifths  of  the  continent  of  America, 
little  else  than  one  wide  scene  of  moral  desolation, 
where  idolatry  and  superstition,  tyranny  and  ambi¬ 
tion,  treachery  and  cruelty,  war  and  dissension,  reign 
triumphant  among  almost  every  tribe ;  and  where 
scarcely  a  ray  of  divine  light  and  divine  love  gilds 
the  horizon,  from  the  one  end  of  these  extensive 
regions  to  the  other.  Even  in  Europe,  where  the 
light  of  science  and  of  Revelation  is  converged  to  a 
focus,  what  an  immense  cloud  of  moral  darkness  still 
appears  enveloping  its  population  !  The  fields  of 
Waterloo,  of  Leipsic,  of  Borodino,  and  of  Smolen- 
sko,  where  so  many  thousands  of  human  beings  were 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


201 


sacrificed  to  the  demon  of  war — the  vales  of  Swit¬ 
zerland  and  Hungary,  the  plains  of  France  and  Italy, 
the  anarchy  and  commotions  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
and  the  ensanguined  shores  of  Turkey  and  Greece, 
where  massacres  have  been  perpetrated  with  the  rage 
and  fury  of  infernal  demons,  bear  witness  to  the 
melancholy  fact,  that  hatred  and  malignity  still  hold 
the  ascendancy  over  the  nations  of  Europe,  and  over 
all  the  efforts  of  benevolence  and  love. 

But  we  trust  that  the  period  is  fast  approaching, 
when  the  breath  of  a  new  spirit  shall  pervade  the 
inhabitants  of  every  clime,  and  when  holy  love  shall 
unite  all  the  tribes  of  mankind  in  one  harmonious 
society.  When  the  messengers  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace  “  shall  run  to  and  fro  ”  from  the  north  to  the 
south,  and  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun; 
when  the  sound  of  the  gospel-trumpet  shall  re-echo 
throughout  every  laud;  when  the  light  of  Divine 
Revelation  shall  diffuse  its  radiance  on  the  benighted 
nations ;  when  its  sublime  doctrines  and  moral  re¬ 
quisitions  shall  be  fully  understood  and  recognised 
in  all  their  practical  bearings ;  and  when  the  energy 
of  that  Almighty  Spirit  which  reduced  to  light  and 
order  the  dark  and  shapeless  chaos,  shall  be  exerted 
on  the  depraved  mass  of  this  world’s  population — 
then  the  death-like  slumber  which  has  seized  upon 
the  race  of  Adam  shall  be  broken ;  the  dead  in  tres¬ 
passes  and  sins  shall  awake  to  new  life  and  activity ; 
this  bedlam  of  the  universe  will  be  restored  to  reason 
and  intellectual  freedom,  and  to  the  society  of  an¬ 
gelic  messengers ;  and  the  face  of  the  moral  creation 
renewed  after  the  image  of  its  Maker.  Then  wars 
shall  cease  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  anarchy  and 

i  3 


202 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


dissension  shall  convulse  the  nations  no  more;  vio¬ 
lence  will  no  more  be  heard  in  any  land,  “  liberty 
will  be  proclaimed  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening 
of  the  prison-doors  to  them  that  are  bound.”  The 
spirit  of  malevolence  will  be  vanquished,  its  power 
broken,  and  its  operations  demolished.  The  order 
and  beauty  of  the  celestial  system  will  be  restored. 
“  Holiness  to  the  Lord”  will  be  inscribed  on  all  the 
implements  and  employments  of  mankind.  Love 
will  spread  her  benignant  wings  over  the  globe,  and 
reign  uncontrolled  in  the  hearts  of  all  its  inhabitants. 
For  thus  saith  the  voice  of  Him  who  sits  on  the 
throne  of  the  universe,  “  Behold,  I  make  all  things 
new — 1  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  and 
the  former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  come  into 
mind.  Be  ye  glad,  and  rejoice  for  ever  in  that  which 
I  create ;  for  behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing, 
and  her  people  a  joy,  and  the  voice  of  weeping  shall 
be  no  more  heard  in  her,  nor  the  voice  of  crying.” 


SECTION  VI. 

Universality  of  the  principles  of  love  to  God ,  and  to 
fellow-intelligences. 

The  grand  principles  of  morality  to  which  I  have 
now  adverted,  are  not  to  be  viewed  as  confined  merely 
to  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe,  but  as  extending  to 
all  intellectual  beings.  They  form  the  basis  of  the 
moral  laws  which  govern  all  intelligences  through¬ 
out  the  universe,  in  whatever  world  or  region  of  in- 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  203 

finite  space  they  may  have  their  physical  residence ; 
and  they  constitute  the  bond  which  unites  to  the 
Supreme  Intelligence,  and  to  one  another,  all  holy 
beings,  wherever  existing  in  the  wide  empire  of 
Omnipotence.  This  will  at  once  appear,  if  we  re¬ 
flect,  for  a  moment,  on  what  has  been  stated  in  the 
preceding  sections.  We  have  seen,  that  if  those 
laws  or  principles  were  reversed,  and  were  the  moral 
agents  of  our  world  to  act  accordingly,  nothing  would 
ensue  but  anarchy,  wretchedness,  horror,  and  devas¬ 
tation,  and  ultimately  a  complete  extermination  of 
the  race  of  mankind.  And,  by  parity  of  reason,  it 
will  follow,  that  were  the  same  principles  to  operate 
in  any  other  world,  however  different  the  capacities, 
relations,  and  physical  circumstances  of  its  inhabitants 
might  be,  similar  disastrous  effects  would  be  the  in¬ 
evitable  result ;  and  were  they  to  pervade  all  worlds, 
disorder  and  misery  would  reign  uncontrolled  through¬ 
out  the  whole  intelligent  system. 

When  the  Creator  brought  any  particular  world 
into  existence,  and  peopled  it  with  inhabitants,  we 
must  suppose,  that  the  laws  to  which  I  am  now  ad¬ 
verting,  were  either  formally  addressed  to  them  by 
some  external  revelation,  or  so  powerfully  impressed 
upon  their  moral  constitution,  as  to  become  the  main 
spring  of  all  their  actions,  so  long  as  they  might  re¬ 
tain  the  original  principles  implanted  in  their  minds 
by  the  Author  of  their  existence.  Any  other  sup¬ 
position  would  be  fraught  with  the  most  absurd  and 
horrible  consequences.  It  would  be  subversive  of 
every  idea  we  are  led  to  form  of  the  character  of  the 
Divine  Being,  inconsistent  with  the  perfect  benevo¬ 
lence  and  rectitude  of  his  nature,  and  incompatible 


204 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


with  the  relations  in  which  rational  beings  stand  to 
-  Him  and  to  one  another,  and  with  the  harmony  and 
happiness  of  the  universe,  to  suppose,  that  any  crea¬ 
tures  now  exist,  or  ever  can  exist,  to  whom  such 
commands  as  these  would  be  given, — ‘  Thou  shalt 
hate  thy  Creator,  who  is  the  source  of  thine  exist¬ 
ence  and,  £  Thou  shalt  hate  all  thy  fellow-intel¬ 
ligences,  with  whom  thou  mayest  associate.’  And, 
if  the  mind  would  recoil  with  horror  at  the  idea  of 
such  laws  issuing  forth  from  the  throne  of  the  Eter¬ 
nal  to  any  class  of  moral  agents,  it  must  necessarily 
be  admitted,  that  the  opposite  principles  or  laws,  to 
which  I  allude,  are  promulgated  to  all  intelligences, 
and  are  obligatory  on  every  inhabitant  of  all  the 
worlds  which  lie  within  the  range  of  Jehovah’s  em¬ 
pire.  The  natural  scenery  with  which  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  other  worlds  are  surrounded,  the  organization 
of  their  corporeal  frames,  the  intellectual  capacities 
with  which  they  are  endowed,  the  stated  employments 
in  which  they  engage,  and  the  relations  in  which 
they  stand  to  each  other,  may  be  very  different  from 
those  which  obtain  in  our  terrestrial  sphere;  but  the 
grand  principles  to  which  I  refer,  must  necessarily 
pervade  every  faculty  of  their  minds,  every  active 
exertion,  and  every  relation  that  subsists  among 
them,  by  whatever  character  it  may  be  distinguished, 
if  they  be  found  existing  in  a  state  of  happiness. 

The  moral  code  of  laws  in  other  worlds  may  be 
somewhat  differently  modified  from  ours,  according 
to  the  circumstances  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  each 
respective  world  are  placed,  and  the  relations  which 
obtain  among  them ;  but  the  same  general  principles 
will  run  through  every  ramification  of  their  moral 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  205 


precepts,  and  appear  in  the  minutest  actions  they 
perform,  as  the  sap  which  proceeds  from  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  diffuses  itself  among  the  minutest  and  the 
most  distant  branches.  The  seventh  commandment 
of  our  moral  code  can  have  no  place  in  a  world  where 
the  inhabitants  “  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in 
marriage;”  where  the  succession  of  intelligent  be¬ 
ings  is  not  carried  on  by  any  process  analogous  to 
human  generation,  where  death  is  unknown,  and 
where  rational  agents  have  a  fixed  and  permanent 
abode.  The  fifth  precept  of  our  law  cannot  be  re¬ 
cognised  in  a  world  where  the  relations  of  parents 
and  children,  princes  and  subjects,  superiors  and  in¬ 
feriors,  have  no  existence.  And  in  those  worlds 
where  the  bounties  of  Divine  Providence  are  equally 
enjoyed  by  all,  or  where  external  comforts  are  not 
necessary  for  the  happiness  of  the  individual,  as  in 
our  world,  or  where  the  slightest  temptation  to  in¬ 
terfere  with  the  property  of  another  does  not  exist, 
there  will  be  no  necessity  for  a  distinct  moral  regula¬ 
tion  corresponding  to  the  eighth  commandment  of  our 
moral  code.  But  in  every  world  where  happiness 
exists,  and  where  the  inhabitants  have  retained  their 
original  integrity,  love  to  God,  and  love  to  all  subor¬ 
dinate  intelligences  with  which  they  are  connected, 
will  animate  every  heart,  regulate  every  desire,  and 
run  through  every  action.  And  in  those  worlds  (if 
any  such  exist  besides  our  own)  where  these  principles 
are  counteracted,  or  not  recognised  as  the  foundation 
of  moral  action,  misery  and  disorder,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  must  be  the  inevitable  consequence. 

The  greater  part,  however,  of  the  precepts  com¬ 
prised  in  the  moral  law  given  to  man,  must  be  con- 


206 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


sidered  as  obligatory  upon  all  the  rational  inhabitants 
of  the  universe.  The  Jirst  commandment,  which 
forbids  the  recognition  of  any  object  of  adoration,  or 
of  supreme  affection,  besides  the  eternal  Jehovah — 
the  second ,  which  forbids  the  representation  of  this 
incomprehensible  Being  by  any  material  objects — 
the  third,  which  enjoins  reverence  of  the  name  or 
attributes  of  God — and  the  spirit  of  the  fourth, 
which  enjoins  a  certain  portion  of  duration  to  be  set 
apart  for  solemn  acts  of  worship  and  adoration, — are 
applicable  to  all  the  moral  agents  that  Jehovah  has 
created.  The  sixth  commandment,  which  forbids 
malice,  revenge,  and  injurious  actions  of  every  de¬ 
scription — the  ninth ,  which  forbids  falsehood,  and 
inculcates  truth,  which  is  the  basis  of  the  moral  uni¬ 
verse — and  the  tenth ,  which  forbids  envy,  and  every 
unhallowed  desire  to  deprive  our  neighbour  of  any 
portion  of  his  happiness, — are  also  binding  upon 
every  class  of  moral  intelligences,  wherever  existing, 
throughout  the  unlimited  empire  of  God.  For,  if 
we  suppose  any  one  of  these  precepts  to  be  reversed, 
and  moral  agents  to  act  on  the  principle  of  this  sub¬ 
version,  their  moral  order  and  harmony  would  be 
interrupted,  and  consequently,  their  happiness  de¬ 
stroyed.  For  example,  let  the  law  which  inculcates 
truth,  be  supposed  to  be  universally  violated  among 
any  class  of  rational  beings,  and  instantly  all  improve¬ 
ment  in  wisdom  and  knowledge  would  cease ;  nothing 
could  be  depended  upon  as  fact  but  what  was  obvious 
to  the  senses  of  every  individual ;  social  compacts 
would  be  dissolved,  a  mutual  repulsion  would  ensue, 
and  every  social  affection  and  enjoyment  would  be 
unhinged  and  destroyed. 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  207 

By  overlooking  considerations  of  this  kind,  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Chalmers,  in  his  “  Discourses  on  the 
Christian  Revelation  viewed  in  connection  with  the 
Modern  Astronomy,”  deprived  himself  of  an  important 
argument  to  prove  that  Christianity  is  not  confined 
to  this  sublunary  region.  For,  as  it  is  the  great 
object  of  the  Christian  Revelation  to  bring  into  full 
effect,  in  all  their  practical  bearings,  the  principles  I 
have  been  endeavouring  to  illustrate,  and  as  these 
principles  must  be  interwoven  with  the  moral  code  of 
all  worlds — it  follows,  that  the  spirit  and  essence  of 
our  religion  must  be  common  to  all  the  holy  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  universe. 

From  what  has  been  now  stated  respecting  the 
universality  of  the  principle  of  love,  the  following 
conclusions  may  be  deduced : — 

1.  That  the  man  in  whose  heart  this  principle  is 
predominant,  and  whose  actions  are  directed  by  its 
influence,  is  qualified  for  associating  with  the  pure 
intelligences  of  all  worlds.  AVere  we  transported 
to  the  surface  of  the  planet  Jupiter,  and  had  we  ac¬ 
cess  to  mingle  with  its  vast  population ;  or  were  we 
conveyed  to  one  of  the  planets  which  revolve  around 
the  star  Sirius — if  the  inhabitants  of  these  globes 
have  retained  the  primeval  purity  of  their  natures, 
and  if  the  principle  of  love  reigned  supreme  in  our 
hearts,  we  should  be  assured  of  a  welcome  reception 
from  those  distant  intelligences,  and  be  qualified  to 
mingle  with  them  in  their  adorations  of  our  common 
Creator,  and  in  all  their  affectionate  and  harmonious 
intercourses.  We  should  only  have  to  learn  the 
mode  by  which  they  communicate  to  each  other  their 
ideas  and  emotions.  Love  would  form  the  basis  of 


208 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


every  union,  and  amalgamate  us  with  every  depart¬ 
ment  of  their  society.  With  pleasure,  and  with  the 
most  endearing  affection,  would  they  point  out  to 
us  the  peculiar  glories  of  the  world  they  inhabit,  and 
rehearse  the  history  of  the  Creator’s  dispensations  in 
that  portion  of  his  empire ;  and  with  equal  pleasure 
should  we  listen  to  the  instructions  which  flow  from 
the  lips  of  Benevolence,  and  survey  those  transport¬ 
ing  objects  and  arrangements  which  decorate  a  world 
where  love  pervades  the  breasts  of  all  its  inhabitants. 
To  visit  a  distant  world,  although  it  were  in  our 
power,  where  the  inhabitants  were  of  an  opposite 
description,  could  afford  no  gratification  to  an  intel¬ 
ligent  and  benevolent  mind,  but  would  overwhelm  it 
with  anguish  and  dismay.  What  enjoyment  would 
the  capacious  mind  of  a  pure  intelligence  from  the 
regions  of  the  constellation  Orion ,  derive  from  visit- 
ing  a  world  inhabited  by  such  beings  as  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Nootka  Sound,  New  Guinea,  or  New  Zea¬ 
land,  where  the  moral  and  intellectual  principle  is 
completely  debased,  and  where  the  beauties  of  nature 
are  defaced  with  interminable  forests,  and  marshes, 
and  the  haunts  of  beasts  of  prey  ?  He  would  be 
filled  with  disappointment  and  horror — he  might 
drop  a  tear  of  pity  over  the  wretched  inhabitants; 
but  he  would  soon  wing  his  flight  back  to  a  more 
delectable  region.  A  similar  disappointment  would 
be  felt,  were  an  inhabitant  of  our  world,  in  whose 
mind  hatred  and  cruelty,  avarice  and  ambition, 
reigned  without  control, — to  be  conveyed  to  a  world 
of  happiness  and  love.  The  novel  scenes  of  beauty 
and  grandeur  which  would  burst  upon  his  sight 
might  captivate  his  senses  for  a  little ;  but  he  would 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  209 

feci  no  enjoyment  in  the  exercise  of  virtuous  affec¬ 
tions  and  rapturous  adorations,  to  which  he  was 
never  accustomed;  he  would  find  no  objects  on 
which  to  gratify  his  cruel  and  ambitious  desires,  and 
he  would  be  glad  to  escape  from  the  abodes  of  affec¬ 
tion  and  bliss,  to  the  depraved  society  from  whence 
he  came. 

Hence  we  may  learn,  that  however  expansive 
views  we  may  have  acquired  of  the  range  of  the 
Creator’s  operations,  and  of  the  immensity  of  worlds 
which  are  diffused  through  boundless  space,  and 
however  ardent  desires  we  may  indulge  of  visiting 
the  distant  regions  of  creation,  we  never  can  enter¬ 
tain  a  rational  hope  of  enjoying  such  a  privilege,  were 
it  possible,  unless  love  to  God  and  to  man  become 
the  predominant  disposition  of  our  minds.  For 
although  we  were  invested,  by  the  Almighty,  with 
corporeal  vehicles,  capable  of  transporting  us  from 
one  region  of  creation  to  another,  with  the  most  rapid 
motion,  we  could  enjoy  no  solid  satisfaction,  while 
we  remained  unqualified  for  relishing  the  exercises, 
and  mingling  in  the  associations  of  holy  intelligences. 
In  every  happy  world  on  which  we  alighted,  we 
should  feel  ourselves  in  a  situation  similar  to  that  of 
a  rude  and  ignorant  boor,  were  he  conveyed  to  a 
palace,  and  introduced  into  an  assembly  of  courtiers 
and  princes. 

2.  Another  conclusion  deducible  from  this  sub¬ 
ject  is,  that,  by  virtue  of  this  grand  and  governing 
principle ,  man  is  connected  with  the  highest  order  of 
intelligences ,  and  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  most 
distant  worlds;  and  his  happiness  perpetually  se¬ 
cured.  When  we  take  a  view  of  the  universe  by 


210 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  light  of  modern  science,  our  minds  are  over¬ 
powered  and  confounded  at  the  idea  of  its  vast  and 
unlimited  range.  When  we  consider  that  it  would 
require  several  millions  of  years  for  a  cannon-ball, 
flying  at  the  rate  of  five  hundred  miles  an  hour,  to 
reach  the  nearest  stars — when  we  consider,  that 
there  are  stars  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  at  least  fifty 
times  farther  distant  than  these — when  we  consider, 
that  there  are  stars  visible  by  the  telescope,  a  thou¬ 
sand  times  farther  distant  than  any  of  the  former — 
and  when  we  consider  that  all  the  suns  and  worlds 
which  lie  within  this  unfathomable  range,  are,  in  all 
probability,  only  as  a  grain  of  sand  to  the  whole 
earth,  when  compared  with  the  immensity  of  systems 
which  lie  beyond  them  in  the  unexplored  abyss  of 
infinite  space — we  are  lost  in  the  immensity  of  crea¬ 
tion,  and  can  set  no  bounds  to  the  empire  of  the  Al¬ 
mighty  Sovereign.  When  we  look  forward  to  that 
eternal  state  to  which  we  are  destined — when  we 
consider,  that  after  thousands  of  millions  of  centuries 
have  run  their  rounds,  eternity  will  be  no  nearer  to 
a  termination,  and  that  ages,  numerous  as  the  drops 
of  the  ocean,  will  still  roll  on  in  interminable  succes¬ 
sion — we  behold  a  lapse  of  duration,  and  a  succession 
of  events  stretching  out  before  us,  which  correspond 
with  the  immeasurable  spaces  of  the  universe,  and 
the  number  and  magnitude  of  the  worlds  with  which 
it  is  stored.  When  we  view  ourselves  as  thus  con¬ 
nected  with  the  immensity  of  creation  on  the  one 
hand,  and  with  infinite  duration  on  the  other;  and 
when  we  reflect  on  the  numerous  changes  that  have 
happened  both  in  the  physical  and  moral  aspect  of 
our  globe  within  the  period  of  six  thousand  years, 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  21  1 

we  cannot  but  conclude,  that  we  are  destined  to  pass 
through  new  scenes  and  changes  in  that  eternity 
which  lies  before  us,  of  which,  at  present,  we  can 
form  no  conception.  After  remaining  for  thousands 
of  millions  of  years  in  that  world  which  will  be  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  righteous  at  the  general  resurrection, 
we  may  be  transported  to  another  system  as  far  dis¬ 
tant  from  that  abode,  as  we  now  are  from  the  most 
distant  stars  visible  to  our  sight,  in  order  to  contem¬ 
plate  new  displays  of  the  attributes  of  God  in  an¬ 
other  province  of  his  empire.  We  may  afterwards 
be  conveyed  to  an  unoccupied  region  of  immensity, 
where  new  creations,  displaying  new  objects  of  glory 
and  magnificence,  are  starting  into  existence.  We 
may  afterwards  be  invested  with  the  wings  of  a  seraph, 
and  be  enabled  to  wing  our  way,  in  company  with 
angels,  from  world  to  world,  and  to  visit  the  most 
distant  regions  of  that  immense  universe  over  which 
Omnipotence  presides.  In  short,  the  imagination 
can  set  no  limits  to  its  excursions,  when  it  attempts 
to  survey  the  revolutions  and  changes  that  may  take 
place,  and  the  new  scenes  of  glory  which  may  burst 
upon  the  view,  throughout  the  lapse  of  a  duration 
which  will  have  no  end. 

Now,  in  whatever  relation  man  may  stand  to  any 
portion  of  the  universal  system,  throughout  every 
future  period  of  his  existence,  and  during  all  the  re¬ 
volutions  of  eternity,  love  will  unite  him  to  all  other 
holy  beings  with  whom  he  may  associate,  however 
distant  their  abode  from  the  spot  he  now  occupies, 
however  different  its  scenery  and  arrangements,  and 
however  superior  they  may  be  in  point  of  corporeal 
organization  and  intellectual  capacity.  For  no  in- 


212 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


telligence,  in  any  region  of  the  universe,  in  whom 
the  principle  of  love  predominates,  can  ever  be  sup¬ 
posed  to  disdain  to  associate  with  another,  of  what¬ 
ever  rank  or  order,  who  is  actuated  by  a  similar 
affection ;  otherwise,  his  love  would  degenerate  into 
malevolence.  This  principle  will  unite  him  to  angels 
and  archangels,  to  cherubim  and  seraphim,  to  thrones, 
dominions,  principalities,  and  powers,  from  whose 
discourses  he  will  learn  the  history  of  the  Divine 
dispensations,  the  wonders  of  Almighty  power,  and 
((  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God.”  So  long  as  it 
reigns  uncontrolled  in  his  heart,  it  will  secure  his 
happiness  in  all  places  and  in  every  period  of  his 
existence,  by  a  law  established  by  the  Almighty,  and 
founded  on  his  perfections;  a  law  which  binds  to¬ 
gether  the  whole  intelligent  system,  and  forms  the 
basis  of  the  felicity  of  the  moral  universe.  So  that 
his  future  blessedness  is  for  ever  secure,  beyond  the 
reach  of  danger,  and  rests  upon  a  foundation  stable 
and  permanent  as  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. 

3.  From  what  has  been  now  stated  we  may  learn, 
that  there  is  but  one  religion  throughout  the  universe , 
however  vast  its  magnitude,  and  boundless  its  exten¬ 
sion.  In  this  world  numerous  systems  of  religion 
prevail,  and  thousands  of  different  opinions  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  its  ceremonies  and  objects ;  but  experience 
has  demonstrated,  that  all  of  them,  except  one ,  are 
insufficient  to  guide  rational  beings  to  substantial 
felicity.  And  of  this  one  system,  how  many  foolish 
and  inaccurate,  and  even  contradictory  opinions  have 
been  formed,  through  the  ignorance  and  perversity 
of  the  human  mind  !  Though  all  its  parts  have  a 
direct  reference  to  the  actions  of  intelligent  agents, 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE.  213 

and  to  the  cultivation  of  benevolent  affections ,  yet  it 
has  been  represented,  even  by  its  professed  abettors, 
as  a  congeries  of  metaphysical  dogmas  and  specula¬ 
tive  opinions  ;  and  in  this  point  of  view,  it  has  been 
the  source  of  perpetual  wrangling  and  contentions. 
Though  it  is  calculated  to  expand  the  understand¬ 
ing,  to  warm  the  heart,  and  to  elevate  the  soul  to 
God,  yet  t  has  been  reduced,  by  the  cunning  arti¬ 
fice  of  man,  to  a  mass  of  mere  quibbles  and  un* 
meaning  ceremonies.  And  though  it  breathes  no¬ 
thing  but  peace  and  good-will  to  man,  it  has  been 
employed  as  an  engine  of  persecution  and  of  human 
destruction.  It  is  only  in  proportion  as  our  religion 
approximates  to  the  character  of  the  religion  which 
is  common  to  all  holy  beings,  that  it  is  worthy  of  our 
veneration  and  our  ardent  pursuit.  And  therefore, 
in  order  to  determine  the  truth  and  importance  of 
any  particular  system  of  religious  opinions,  the  best 
test  we  can  apply  to  it  is,  to  ascertain  what  bearings 
it  has  upon  the  grand  principles  to  which  we  have 
been  adverting.  “  Do  all  the  sentiments  and  tenets 
which  it  strenuously  supports,  like  the  lines  from 
the  circumference  to  the  centre  of  a  circle,  converge 
towards  the  promotion  of  love ,  in  all  its  practical 
ramifications  ?  Are  the  opinions  we  now  so  fiercely 
maintain,  of  such  a  nature,  that  we  shall  probably 
recognise  them  as  important  practical  principles  a 
million  of  years  hence,  in  the  regions  of  distant 
worlds  ?”  If  such  a  test  were  applied  to  hundreds 
of  opinions  which  have  agitated  the  religious  world, 
and  obstructed  the  operations  of  the  benevolent  affec¬ 
tions,  they  would  be  driven  away  from  the  Christian 
system  as  chaff  before  the  whirlwind ;  and  Christians 


214 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


would  feel  ashamed  of  the  importance  they  attached 
to  their  “  mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin,”  while  they 
neglected  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  “judg¬ 
ment,  mercy,  and  the  love  of  God.”  How  many 
false  and  foolish  opinions  shall  we  leave  behind  us 
in  this  region  of  darkness  and  contention,  when  we 
enter  within  the  confines  of  the  eternal  state  !  How 
sublime,  how  lovely,  and  how  beatifying  will  religion 
appear  in  that  world,  where  it  will  be  contemplated 
in  its  native  simplicity,  and  stripped  of  all  the  foreign 
and  adventitious  circumstances  which  now  obscure 
its  brightness  and  glory  ! — I  need  scarcely  say,  that 
the  one  religion  to  which  I  allude  is  Christianity , 
considered  not  so  much  in  the  scheme  of  mediation 
which  it  unfolds,  which  may  have  a  relation  solely 
to  man  viewed  in  his  character  as  a  sinner, — but 
in  the  leading  dispositions  and  virtues  it  inculcates, 
and  in  the  great  objects  which  all  its  doctrines,  facts, 
and  supernatural  communications  have  a  tendency  to 
accomplish.  In  these  points  of  view,  it  must  be 
considered  as  embodying  principles  and  laws  which 
pervade  the  religious  systems  of  all  worlds. 

Finally,  Love  isaprinciple  in  the  moral  and  intel¬ 
ligent  system,  which  bears  a  striking  analogy  to  the 
principle  of  attraction  in  the  material  world.  Each 
of  them  unites,  in  its  respective  sphere,  all  the  beings 
which  compose  it,  in  one  grand  and  harmonious  sys¬ 
tem  ;  and  both  of  them  combined,  give  birth  to  all 
the  moral  and  physical  phenomena  which  diversify 
the  intellectual  and  the  material  universe.  By  the 
principle  of  attraction,  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth, 
along  with  their  habitations,  are  retained  to  its  sur¬ 
face,  and  prevented  from  flying  off  in  wild  confusion 


ANALOGY  OF  LOVE  TO  ATTRACTION.  215 

through  the  voids  of  space.  By  the  same  power  the 
mountains  rest  on  a  solid  basis,  the  rivers  flow  from 
the  mountains  to  the  plains,  and  the  ocean  is  confined 
within  its  appointed  channels.  It  produces  the  va¬ 
rious  phenomena  which  arise  from  the  meandering 
rill,  the  majestic  river,  and  the  roaring  cataract.  It 
produces  the  descent  of  rain  and  dew,  and  the  alter¬ 
nate  flux  and  reflux  of  the  tides.  It  prevents  the 
waters  of  the  great  deep  from  covering  the  mountain 
tops,  and  mingling  in  confusion  with  the  clouds  of 
heaven.  It  binds  together  the  infinity  of  atoms  which 
constitute  the  globe  on  which  we  tread;  it  regulates 
the  various  movements  of  men  and  other  animated 
beings;  it  forms  mechanical  powers;  and  gives  im¬ 
pulsion  to  numerous  machines  and  engines.  It  rolls 
the  moon,  in  regular  succession,  around  the  earth, 
and  prevents  her  from  running  lawlessly  through  the 
sky.  It  extends  its  influence  from  the  sun  to  the 
remotest  planets,  conducting  revolving  worlds,  with 
all  their  satellites,  in  their  ample  circuits,  and  pre¬ 
serving  them  all  in  one  harmonious  system.  It  con¬ 
nects  the  earth  and  the  planetary  globes  with  other 
systems  in  the  distant  regions  of  space ;  and  carries 
the  sun,  with  all  his  attendant  orbs,  around  the 
centre  of  that  nebula  to  which  it  belongs,  and  all  the 
systems  and  nebula;  of  the  universe  around  the  throne 
of  God. 

In  like  manner,  love  unites  all  holy  intelligences, 
wherever  dispersed  through  the  amplitudes  of  crea¬ 
tion,  in  one  amiable  and  harmonious  system.  It 
unites  man  to  God,  and  God  to  man.  It  unites 
the  renovated  inhabitants  of  our  globe  to  angels  and 
archangels,  and  qualifies  them  for  entering  into  the 


216 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


closest  bonds  of  friendship  and  affection  with  supe¬ 
rior  intelligences  that  people  the  regions  of  distant 
worlds.  It  produces  an  expansive  and  harmonious 
spirit,  and  an  ardent  desire  to  diffuse  happiness  among 
all  surrounding  beings.  It  gives  birth  to  those  su¬ 
blime  emotions  which  flow  out  towards  the  Creator,  in 
the  various  forms  of  adoration,  complacency,  hope, 
confidence,  humility,  joy,  submission,  and  reverence ; 
and  it  is  the  spring  of  all  those  virtuous  dispositions, 
which  flow  out  towards  our  fellow-creatures  in  the 
form  of  mercy,  compassion,  sincerity,  candour,  sympa¬ 
thy,  kindness,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  meekness, 
charity,  generosity,  justice,  and  active  beneficence. 
It  impels  its  possessor  to  run  to  the  assistance  of 
the  distressed,  to  support  the  weak,  to  console  the 
desponding,  to  comfort  the  dying,  to  diffuse  the  rays 
of  heavenly  light  over  the  benighted  mind,  and  to 
rejoice  in  the  prosperity  of  all  around.  It  is  “  the 
bond  of  perfection”  which  unites  the  members  of  an 
affectionate  family,  and  preserves  the  union  of  the 
faithful  in  all  the  churches  of  the  saints.  It  unites 
man  to  man  by  the  closest  ties,  however  different  in 
language,  customs,  colour,  and  complexion;  and  how¬ 
ever  far  removed  from  each  other  in  point  of  place. 
It  enables  the  Greenlander,  the  Icelander,  the  Afri¬ 
can,  the  inhabitant  of  Hindostan,  and  the  inhabitant 
of  the  British  Isles,  in  whose  hearts  it  resides,  to 
recognise  each  other  as  the  “  sons  of  God,”  and  as 
<c  brethren  in  Christ  Jesus.”  It  sends  forth  the 
imagination  over  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  carrying 
benevolent  wishes,  fervent  prayers  and  intercessions, 
for  men  of  all  kindreds  and  ranks;  and  employs  every 
active  endeavour  to  promote  the  present  enjoyment, 


ANALOGY  OF  LOVE  TO  ATTRACTION.  217 


and  the  eternal  felicity  of  the  family  of  mankind.  It 
inspires  the  soul  with  emotions  of  delight,  when  it 
becomes  the  instrument  of  communicating  happiness 
to  all  within  the  sphere  of  its  influence.  It  unites 
the  host  of  seraphim  and  cherubim  in  one  vast  and 
harmonious  association ;  so  that  no  jarring  affection 
is  ever  felt,  and  no  discordant  voice  is  ever  heard, 
among  the  thousands  and  ten  thousands  of  these 
exalted  intelligences.  It  preserves  every  member 
of  the  holy  and  intelligent  system  in  the  rank  and 
orbit  prescribed  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  and  leads  them 
all  to  rejoice  in  accomplishing  the  plans  of  their  be¬ 
nevolent  Creator.  Around  Him,  as  the  sun  of  the 
moral  system — the  centre  of  light  and  joy — they  all 
revolve  in  their  appointed  order;  cheered  by  the 
emanation  of  his  love,  enlightened  by  his  beams,  and 
reflecting  a  radiance  upon  all  the  beings  with  which 
they  are  surrounded.  Though  one  orb  differs  from 
another  in  motion,  in  magnitude,  and  in  glory,  yet 
no  one  interferes  with  another,  to  impede  its  pro¬ 
gress,  or  to  intercept  the  emanations  of  light  and 
love  from  the  Uncreated  Source  and  Centre  of  all 
enjoyment. 

Were  the  principle  of  attraction,  which  binds  to¬ 
gether  the  atoms  of  our  globe,  and  connects  the 
planetary  orbs  with  the  sun,  to  be  completely  dis¬ 
solved,  the  earth  would  be  shattered  to  its  centre ; 
the  waters  of  the  ocean  would  fly  upwards,  and  be 
dispersed  through  the  highest  regions  of  the  atmo¬ 
sphere;  rocks  and  mountains  would  be  detached 
from  their  bases,  and  raised  aloft  above  the  clouds; 
forests  would  be  tom  up  from  their  roots,  and  tossed 
about  in  confusion  through  the  sky;  the  moon 

d.  2.  K 


218 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


would  forsake  her  ancient  course ;  the  planets  would 
run  lawlessly  through  the  immensity  of  space,  and 
mighty  worlds  would  be  seen  dashing  against  each 
other,  till  they  were  shattered  to  pieces,  and  their 
fragments  tossed  about  in  disorder  throughout  sur¬ 
rounding  systems. — Effects  equally  disastrous  to  the 
intelligent  system  would  be  produced,  were  the  in¬ 
fluence  of  love  to  be  completely  suspended  or  anni¬ 
hilated.  War  would  be  proclaimed  in  heaven,  and 
myriads  of  angels  hurled  from  their  seats  of  bliss. 
The  rapturous  songs  and  adorations  of  seraphs  would 
he  changed  into  the  bowlings  and  execrations  of  de- 
mons.  The  population  of  the  universe  would  be 
transformed  into  one  vast  assemblage  of  fiends ;  its 
regions  of  beauty  and  fertility  would  become  one 
wide  scene  of  desolation  and  horror,  and  the  voice  of 
lamentation  and  misery  would  be  heard  resounding 
throughout  all  worlds.  On  earth,  kingdoms  would 
be  shaken  and  convulsed ;  governments  overturned ; 
societies  dissolved;  families  dispersed;  the  bonds  of 
friendship  burst  asunder;  husbands  torn  from  their 
wives,  and  parents  from  their  children ;  the  inter¬ 
course  of  nations  suspended;  the  pursuits  of  science 
and  religion  abandoned  ;  every  rank  and  relation  over¬ 
turned,  and  virtue  banished  from  the  abodes  of  men. 
Deserting  all  social  beings,  and  forsaken  by  all,  man 
would  become  a  solitary  monster,  wandering  without 
plan  or  object,  an  enemy  to  himself  and  to  his  spe¬ 
cies.  Anarchy  and  disorder  would  reign  triumphant 
over  the  whole  race  of  human  beings,  and  the  bowl¬ 
ings  of  wretchedness  and  despair  would  re-echo  from 
every  land. 

Such  a  scene  of  moral  desolation,  selfishness  and 


ANALOGY  OF  LOVE  TO  ATTRACTION.  219 

malignity  have  a  natural  tendency  to  create;  and 
such  a  scene  they  have  actually  created  in  our  world, 
in  so  far  as  their  influence  has  extended.  The 
power  of  attraction  has  never  been  completely  sus¬ 
pended  in  relation  to  our  globe,  nor  has  the  moral 
Governor  of  the  universe  suffered  the  principle  of 
love  to  be  entirely  eradicated  from  the  minds  of  its 
inhabitants.  But,  as  when  the  law  of  gravitation  is 
counteracted  in  the  case  of  earthquakes  and  volcanoes, 
the  most  destructive  and  desolating  convulsions  en¬ 
sue — so  it  happens  in  the  moral  world,  when  the  law 
of  benevolence  is  trampled  under  foot.  cc  Nation 
rises  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom 
hostile  armies  encounter  like  timers  rushing  on  their 
prey ;  f<  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death,”  are  scattered 
in  every  direction ;  a  confused  noise  of  chariots,  and 
horsemen,  and  of  engines  of  destruction,  is  wafted  on 
every  breeze ;  garments  are  rolled  in  blood,  and  whole 
plains  drenched  with  human  gore,  and  covered  with 
the  carcases  of  the  slain.  But  wherever  love  diffuses 
its  powerful  and  benign  influence,  there  harmony, 
happiness,  and  peace,  are  enjoyed  by  every  rank  of 
sensitive  and  intellectual  existence.  In  every  world 
where  it  reigns  supreme,  the  intellectual  faculty  is 
irradiated,  the  affections  are  purified  and  expanded, 
transporting  joys  are  felt,  and,  like  the  planetary  orbs 
and  their  train  of  satellites,  all  shine  with  a  steady 
lustre,  and  move  onward,  in  harmonious  order,  around 
the  Supreme  Source  of  intelligence,  and  the  Eternal 
Centre  of  all  felicity. 


220 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  YII. 

The  preceding  views  corroborated  by  Divine  Reve¬ 
lation. 

In  the  preceding  sections  I  have  endeavoured  to* 
illustrate  the  two  grand  principles  of  the  Moral  Law, 
and  to  demonstrate  their  reasonableness,  and  the 
necessity  of  their  universal  operation,  in  order  to  the 
promotion  of  the  happiness  of  the  intelligent  system. 
I  have  proceeded  all  along  on  the  ground  of  revela¬ 
tion,  as  well  as  of  reason  and  the  nature  of  things. 
But  since  these  important  principles  form  the  basis 
of  the  system  of  religion,  and  of  all  the  practical 
conclusions  I  may  afterwards  deduce  in  the  remain¬ 
ing  part  of  this  work,  it  may  be  expedient  to  advert 
a  little  more  explicitly  to  the  declarations  of  Scrip¬ 
ture  on  this  subject.  And  here  I  propose  very 
briefly  to  show,  that  it  is  the  great  end  of  Divine 
Revelation  to  illustrate  these  principles  in  all  their 
various  bearings,  and  to  bring  them  into  practical 
operation. 

This  position  is  expressly  stated  by  our  Saviour 
himself  in  his  reply  to  the  scribe,  who  proposed  the 
question,  “  Which  is  the  great  commandment  in 
the  law?”  “Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and  great  command¬ 
ment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it :  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On  these  two 
COMMANDMENTS  HANG  ALL  THE  LAW  AND  THE 

prophets.”  This  declaration  evidently  implies, 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


221 


that  it  is  the  design  of  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  revelation  to  illustrate  and  enforce  these  laws, 
and  to  produce  all  those  holy  tempers  which  are 
comprised  in  the  love  of  God  and  of  our  neighbour. 
This  appears  to  be  the  grand  object  of  all  the  histo¬ 
rical  facts,  religious  institutions,  devotional  exercises, 
moral  maxims,  prophecies,  exhortations,  promises, 
and  threatenings  which  it  records. 

The  history  of  the  formation  of  the  universe,  and 
of  the  arrangement  of  our  globe,  as  detailed  in  the 
book  of  Genesis,  is  calculated  to  display  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  of  the  Creator,  and  to  draw  forth  our 
affections  towards  Him  who  is  the  Author  of  our 
enjoyments,  and  who  pronounced  every  thing  he  had 
made  to  be  <£  very  good.”  The  history  of  the  wick¬ 
edness  of  the  antediluvian  world,  of  the  dreadful 
effects  it  produced  in  the  state  of  society,  and  of  the 
awful  catastrophe  by  which  its  inhabitants  were  swept 
from  existence,  and  buried  in  the  waters  of  the  de¬ 
luge,  is  calculated  to  illustrate,  in  the  most  striking 
manner,  the  guilt  and  danger  of  withdrawing  the  af¬ 
fections  from  God,  and  of  indulging  a  principle  of 
malevolence  towards  man.  The  history  of  the  crimes 
of  Sodom,  and  of  the  fate  of  its  inhabitants;  the 
destruction  of  Pharaoh  and  his  armies  at  the  Red 
Sea ;  the  history  of  the  idolatrous  practices  of  the 
Israelites,  of  their  murmurings  in  the  wilderness, 
and  of  the  punishments  inflicted  for  their  rebellion; 
the  fate  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  and  of  the 
worshippers  of  Baal;  the  destruction  of  the  nations 
of  Canaan;  the  judgments  which  pursued  the  Jew¬ 
ish  nation,  during  the  whole  period  of  their  history, 
on  account  of  their  defection  from  God,  and  the  cala- 


2  22 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


mities  which  befel  them  at  the  period  of  the  Baby¬ 
lonish  captivity — together  with  all  the  other  facts 
connected  with  the  history  of  that  people  and  of  the 
surrounding  nations,  are  intended  to  exhibit  the  dis¬ 
mal  consequences  and  the  moral  wretchedness  which 
inevitably  follow,  when  the  affections  of  mankind  are 
withdrawn  from  the  God  of  heaven,  and  left  to  gro¬ 
vel  in  the  mire  of  depravity  and  vice. 

The  institutions  of  the  Jewish  church  were  ap¬ 
pointed  for  promoting  the  knowledge  and  the  love 
of  God,  and  for  exciting  an  abhorrence  of  every 
thing  which  is  contrary  to  the  rectitude  and  purity 
of  his  nature.  Among  the  tribes  that  inhabited  the 
land  of  Canaan,  prior  to  the  entrance  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites,  and  among  all  the  surrounding  nations,  the 
worship  of  false  gods,  the  grossest  superstitions,  and 
the  most  abominable  vices,  universally  prevailed.  It 
was  one  great  end  of  the  laws  and  ceremonies  en¬ 
joined  upon  Israel,  to  excite  abhorrence  of  every 
thing  which  was  connected  with  idolatry,  to  portray 
its  wickedness  and  folly,  to  rivet  the  affections  of  the 
people  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  to  preserve 
them  uncontaminated  from  the  malignant  dispositions 
and  the  vile  practices  of  the  neighbouring  nations, 
and  to  instruct  them  in  the  nature  and  attributes  of 
the  Deity;  that  they  might  be  “a  peculiar  people 
to  Jehovah,  separated  from  all  the  people  that  were 
on  the  face  of  the  earth.”  Hence,  the  following 
intimation  and  injunction  are  placed  on  the  front  of 
the  moral  code  of  laws  delivered  to  that  nation  : 
“  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord. 
Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.”  To 
promote  harmony  and  affection  between  man  and 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


223 


man;  to  enforce  the  exercise  of  justice  and  equity  in 
all  their  dealings ;  to  inculcate  chastity  and  purity  of 
affection,  kindness  to  strangers,  compassion,  and  sym¬ 
pathy  ;  obedience  to  parents,  charitable  dispositions 
towards  the  poor  and  needy,  and  tenderness  and 
mercy  towards  the  inferior  animals,  were  the  great 
objects  of  the  various  laws  and  regulations  comprised 
in  their  moral  and  political  code. 

The  devotional  portions  of  the  Old  Testament, 
particularly  those  contained  in  the  book  of  Psalms, 
have  the  same  general  tendency.  The  descriptions 
of  the  works  of  creation  and  providence,  the  celebra¬ 
tion  of  the  divine  character  and  excellencies,  and  the 
ascriptions  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  the  mercy, 
long-suffering,  and  goodness  of  God,  with  which 
these  divine  compositions  abound,  are  calculated  to 
raise  the  affections  to  Jehovah  as  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  to  inspire  the  soul  with  love,  admira¬ 
tion,  and  reverence.  In  many  of  these  sublime  odes, 
particularly  in  the  119th  Psalm,  the  mind  of  the 
Psalmist  is  absorbed  in  meditation  on  the  excellency 
of  the  divine  precepts,  and  the  happiness  which  the 
observance  of  them  is  calculated  to  convey.  “  O 
how  I  love  thy  law  !”  says  David,  “  it  is  my  medi¬ 
tation  all  the  day.  The  law  of  thy  mouth  is  better 
unto  me  than  thousands  of  gold  and  silver.  I  have 
rejoiced  in  thy  testimonies  as  much  as  in  all  riches.” 
The  moral  maxims  contained  in  the  writings  of  So¬ 
lomon  are  likewise  intended  to  draw  forth  the  de¬ 
sires  after  God,  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the 
depraved  passions  of  the  human  heart,  and  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  exercise  of  candour,  sincerity,  justice,  and 
benevolence  among  mankind.  The  exhortations, 


224 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


remonstrances,  and  denunciations  of  the  prophets, 
were  also  intended  to  recall  the  affections  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  Israel  to  the  God  from  whom  they  had  re¬ 
volted,  to  show  the  unreasonableness  of  their  conduct 
in  “  forsaking  the  fountain  ”  of  their  happiness ;  to 
display  the  purity,  the  excellence,  and  the  eternal 
obligation  of  the  divine  precepts,  and  to  warn  them 
of  the  inevitable  ruin  which  will  overtake  the  workers 
of  iniquity.  In  short,  all  the  promises  and  threat- 
enings  of  the  word  of  God,  all  the  considerations 
addressed  to  the  hopes  and  the  fears  of  men,  all  the 
providential  dispensations  of  God,  all  the  manifesta¬ 
tions  of  the  divine  character  and  perfections,  and  all 
the  descriptions  of  the  glories  of  heaven,  and  of  the 
terrors  of  hell,  have  a  tendency  to  illustrate  the  in¬ 
dispensable  obligation  of  love  to  God  and  to  man, 
in  order  to  secure  our  present  comfort  and  eternal 

And  as  it  was  the  main  design  of  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  economy  to  illustrate  and  enforce  the  principle 
of  love  to  God  and  man,  so  it  is,  in  a  particular 
manner,  the  great  object  of  the  Christian  Revela¬ 
tion,  to  exhibit  the  law  of  love  in  all  its  bearings 
and  practical  applications.  In  one  of  the  first  ser¬ 
mons  delivered  by  our  Saviour,  and  the  longest  one 
recorded  in  the  Evangelical  History,  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  the  main  design  is,  to  explain  and  en¬ 
force  these  principles,  in  relation  both  to  God  and 
to  man,  and  to  sweep  away  all  the  false  glosses  which 
Ignorance  and  Prejudice  had  mingled  with  their 
interpretations  of  the  Divine  law.  In  one  part  of 
this  discourse,  our  Lord  declares,  that  we  may  as 
soon  expect  to  see  “  heaven  and  earth  pass  away,” 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


225 


or  the  whole  frame  of  the  universe  dissolved,  as  that 
<£  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  pass  from  the  law.”  For 
as  it  is  a  law  founded  on  the  nature  of  God,  it  must 
be  of  eternal  obligation,  and  can  never  be  abrogated 
with  regard  to  any  class  of  rational  beings,  in  consis¬ 
tency  with  the  perfections  of  the  Divine  nature. 
As  it  is  a  law  absolutely  perfect,  comprehending 
within  its  range  every  disposition  and  affection,  and 
every  duty  which  is  requisite  for  promoting  the  order 
and  happiness  of  intelligent  agents,  nothing  can  be 
taken  from  it  without  destroying  its  perfection;  and 
nothing  can  be  added  to  it  without  supposing  that  it 
was  originally  imperfect.  And  as  it  was  intended 
to  preserve  the  harmony  and  to  secure  the  felicity 
of  the  intellectual  beings  that  people  the  earth  and 
the  heavens,  the  fabric  of  universal  nature  must  be 
destroyed  before  this  law  can  be  set  aside  or  cancelled. 
For  we  have  already  seen,  (Sect.  IV.)  that  were 
it  reversed,  the  whole  intelligent  system  would  be 
transformed  into  a  scene  of  confusion  and  misery. 
For  the  purpose  of  affording  an  immense  theatre, 
on  which  the  operations  of  this  law  might  be  dis¬ 
played,  the  earth  with  all  its  furniture  and  decora¬ 
tions,  and  the  heavens  with  all  their  hosts,  were 
called  into  existence;  and,  therefore,  were  it  either 
cancelled  or  reversed,  neither  the  glory  of  the  Crea¬ 
tor  would  be  displayed,  nor  the  happiness  of  his  in¬ 
telligent  creation  secured.  The  mighty  expanse  of 
the  universe,  enclosing  so  many  spacious  worlds, 
would  become  one  boundless  moral  desert,  in  which 
no  $£  fruits  of  righteousness”  would  appear,  nor  any 
trace  of  the  beauty  and  benevolence  of  the  Eternal 
Mind. — In  the  same  discourse,  our  Saviour  enforces 

k  3 


226 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  duty  of  love  towards  even  our  most  bitter  ene¬ 
mies,  and  most  furious  persecutors.  ‘‘Ye  have 
heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbour,  and  hate  thine  enemy.  But  I  say  unto 
you,  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you, 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them 
who  despitefully  use  you,  and  persecute  you ;  that 
you  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven  :  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil 
and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and 
on  the  unjust.”  This  is  one  of  the  most  sublime 
exercises  of  the  principle  of  love,  in  reference  to  our 
fellow-men  ;  and  it  is  enforced  from  the  most  sublime 
motive — the  conduct  of  Benevolence  itself  towards  a 
race  of  rebellious  and  ungrateful  creatures. 

All  the  other  instructions  of  this  Divine  Teacher 
— his  parables,  exhortations,  admonitions,  warnings, 
and  consolatory  addresses,  though  referring  to  parti¬ 
cular  cases  and  circumstances — had  the  same  general 
object  in  view.  When  his  disciples  would  have 
called  for  fire  from  heaven  to  consume  the  Sama¬ 
ritans,  he  kindly,  but  with  energy  and  decision, 
reminded  them,  that  a  principle  of  malignity  wTas  em¬ 
bodied  in  their  unhallowed  desires,  which  is  directly 
opposed  to  the  law  of  love.  “  Ye  know’  not  what 
manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of ;  for  the  Son  of  man  is 
not  come  to  destroy  men’s  lives,  but  to  save  them.” 
Among  his  last  instructions  to  his  followers,  w'hen 
he  was  about  to  depart  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly 
pilgrimage,  love  was  the  grand  theme  on  which  he 
repeatedly  expatiated.  “  A  new  commandment  give 
I  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another ;  as  I  have  loved 
you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


227 


all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another.”  “  These  things  I  command 
you,  that  ye  love  one  another.” 

And  as  the  promotion  of  the  spirit  of  love  was 
the  great  object  of  his  instructions,  so  his  whole  life 
was  an  uninterrupted  exemplification  of  the  purest 
benevolence ,  both  towards  friends  and  towards  ene¬ 
mies.  Never  did  that  holy  affection  which  unites 
the  angelic  tribes,  and  diffuses  joy  among  the  pure 
inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  appear  within  the  confines 
of  our  world,  so  amiable,  so  disinterested,  and  so 
ardent,  as  during  the  period  of  the  public  ministry 
of  Jesus,  and  particularly  towards  the  close  of  his 
earthly  career.  In  the  immediate  prospect  of  suf¬ 
ferings,  dreadful  beyond  our  conceptions,  his  love  to 
mankind  was  “  strong  as  death,”  which  the  many 
waters  of  afflictioir  which  surrounded  him  were  unable 
to  quench.  His  whole  soul  seemed  to  be  absorbed 
in  affection  towards  his  disconsolate  disciples,  and  in 
a  desire  to  cheer  and  animate  their  drooping  spirits. 
His  last  addresses,  as  recorded  by  the  Evangelist 
John,  breathe  a  spirit  of  tenderness,  of  compassion, 
and  of  Divine  benignity,  of  which  we  have  no  parallel 
in  the  annals  of  our  race. 

To  display  his  kindness  and  condescension,  and 
to  teach  his  disciples  to  perform  with  cheerfulness 
the  humblest  offices  of  friendship,  he  rose  from  sup¬ 
per  ;  he  laid  aside  his  garments ;  he  took  a  towel : 
he  girded  himself ;  he  poured  water  into  a  bason ; 
he  began  to  wash  the  disciples’  feet;  and  he  wiped 
them  with  the  towel  wherewith  he  was  girded.  He 
then  addressed  them  in  such  language  as  this : — 
*(  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled:  in  my  Father’s 


228 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


house  are  many  mansions ;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place 
for  you.  And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you, 
I  will  come  again  and  receive  you  to  myself;  that 
where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.  I  will  not  leave 
you  comfortless ;  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall 
give  you  another  Comforter,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth, 
which  shall  abide  with  you  for  ever.  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  I  will  do  it.  Peace  I 
leave  with  you;  my  peace  I  give  unto  you;  not  as 
the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid.”  In  his 
last  prayer,  which  accompanied  these  benedictions, 
the  same  ardent  flow  of  affection  burst  from  his  be¬ 
nevolent  heart — “  Floly  Father  !  keep,  through  thine 
own  name,  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that 
they  may  be  one  as  we  are.”  But  his  love  was  not 
confined  to  the  select  few  with  whom  he  was  sur¬ 
rounded  at  this  interesting  hour.  His  mental  eye 
surveyed  the  various  tribes  which  people  this  de¬ 
partment  of  creation — it  pierced  through  all  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  generations  of  mankind — and  he  embraced, 
in  his  expansive  affections,  the  whole  race  of  the 
faithful  till  the  close  of  time.  “  Neither  pray  I  for 
these  alone ;  but  for  them  also  who  shall  believe  on 
me  through  their  word ;  that  they  all  may  be  one, 
as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee;  that  they 
also  may  be  one  in  us.”  Even  towards  his  bitterest 
enemies,  his  benevolent  emotions  flowed  out  in  ear¬ 
nest  supplications  for  their  forgiveness.  Neither 
“  the  floods  of  ungodly  men”  which  compassed  him, 
nor  the  torrents  of  abuse  which  were  poured  upon 
him  while  he  was  nailing  to  the  cross,  could  over¬ 
power  that  heavenly  flame  which  burned  in  his  holy 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE.  229 

breast.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  mockeries,  insults, 
and  indignities  which  he  endured,  when  he  was  made 
“  a  spectacle  to  angels  and  to  men,”  his  affectionate 
desires  ascended,  with  the  smoke  of  the  evening 
sacrifice,  to  the  throne  of  God,  in  behalf  of  his  mur¬ 
derers — ((  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do.”  O  what  a  striking  contrast  is  here 
presented,  to  those  scenes  of  pride,  malignity,  and 
revenge,  which  have  so  long  disgraced  the  race  of 
Adam,  and  spread  lamentation,  and  mourning,  and 
terror,  among  families,  societies,  and  nations !  What 
a  happy  world  would  this  become,  were  it  peopled 
with  such  amiable  characters,  and  were  all  who  pro¬ 
fess  to  be  followers  of  Jesus,  instead  of  contending 
about  “  questions  which  gender  strife,”  to  vie  with 
each  other  in  imitating  his  mild  and  benevolent 
spirit !  Then  Christianity  would  appear  in  its  native 
lustre,  and  receive  the  homage  due  to  its  divine 
character;  the  name  of  Jehovah  would  soon  be  pro¬ 
claimed  throughout  all  the  earth,  and  the  joys  of  his 
salvation  felt  in  every  clime. 

Again,  it  is  one  great  end  of  the  death  of  Christ 
to  destroy  the  principle  of  malignity  in  the  human 
heart,  and  to  promote  the  operation  of  the  law  of 
love.  “  While  we  were  enemies,  (says  the  Apostle 
Paul,)  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of 
his  Son.”  “  We  are  sanctified  through  the  offering 
of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all.”  “  He 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood.”  “  They  who  were  enemies  in  their  mind, 
and  by  wicked  works,  he  reconciled  in  the  body  of 
his  flesh  through  death,  to  present  them  holy,  and 
unblameable,  and  unreproveable  in  his  sight.”  Love 


230 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  his  heavenly  Father,  and  love  to  mankind,  impelled 
him  to  “  humble  himself,  and  to  become  obedient  to 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.’'  And,  in  order 
that  this  divine  principle  might  be  kept  alive,  and 
form  a  bond  of  union  among  all  his  followers,  he 
appointed  an  ordinance,  consisting  of  sensible  signs, 
in  commemoration  of  his  death,  to  be  observed  in  all 
ages  as  a  memorial  of  his  love,  and  to  remind  his 
friends  of  the  indispensable  obligation  under  which 
they  are  laid  to  love  one  another.  To  promote  the 
same  benevolent  design,  he  arose  from  the  dead, 
ascended  to  heaven,  sent  down  the  Spirit  of  Holiness 
to  abide  in  the  Church,  and  now  presides  in  the 
celestial  world  as  “  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give 
repentance  and  the  remission  of  sins.” 

And  as  the  instructions  and  the  example  of  Jesus 
Christ  were  calculated  to  exhibit  the  principle  of 
love  in  all  its  interesting  aspects,  and  to  promote  its 
practical  influence,  so  the  preaching  and  the  writings 
of  his  Apostles  had  the  same  important  object  in 
view,  as  the  ultimate  scope  of  all  their  ministrations. 
The  one  half  of  every  Epistle  to  the  Christian 
churches  is  occupied  in  delineating  the  practical 
bearings  of  this  holy  affection.  Like  the  lines  which 
proceed  from  the  centre  to  the  circumference  of  a 
circle,  the  various  radiations  of  Christian  affection 
are  traced  from  love,  as  the  grand  central  point,  and 
exhibited  in  all  their  benign  influence  on  individuals, 
families,  churches,  and  the  diversified  relations  which 
subsist  in  civil  and  Christian  society.  <c  Above  all 
things,”  say  the  Apostles,  <c  put  on  love,  which  is 
the  bond  of  perfection.  Though  we  speak  with  the 
tongues  of  men  and  angels,  and  have  not  love,  we 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE.  231 

are  become  as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal. 
And  though  we  understand  all  mysteries,  and  all 
knowledge,  and  bestow  all  our  goods  to  feed  the 
poor,  and  have  not  love,  it  profiteth  nothing.  Love 
suffereth  long,  and  is  kind ;  love  envieth  not,  vaunteth 
not  itself,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh 
not  her  own,  is  not  easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil. 
Prophecies  shall  fail,  languages  shall  cease,  earthly 
knowledge  shall  vanish  away,  but  love  never  faileth .” 
“  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbour;  therefore, 
love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  All  the  law  is 
comprehended  in  this  saying,  namely,  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  The  works  of  the 
flesh,”  or  those  which  flow  from  a  principle  of  malig¬ 
nity,  “are  these:  fornication,  uncleanness,  idolatry, 
hatred,  variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife,  seditions, 
envyings,  murders,  revellings,  and  such  like.  But 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  fidelity,  meekness, 
and  temperance.”  “  Let  love  be  without  dissimula¬ 
tion,  and  walk  in  love  as  Christ  also  hath  loved  us. 
Be  kindly  affectioned  one  toward  another  with  bro¬ 
therly  love,  in  honour  preferring  one  another.  Dis¬ 
tributing  to  the  necessity  of  saints,  given  to  hospi¬ 
tality.  Bless  them  who  persecute  you ;  bless,  and 
curse  not.  Rejoice  with  them  that  do  rejoice,  and 
weep  with  them  that  weep.  Husbands,  love  your 
wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church  ;  children, 
obey  your  parents  in  the  Lord  ;  fathers,  provoke  not 
your  children  to  wrath,  but  bring  them  up  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  Servants,  be 
obedient  to  your  masters,  with  good-will  doing  service 
as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  unto  men ;  and  ye  masters, 


232 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


do  the  same  thing  unto  them,  forbearing  threatening, 
knowing  that  your  Master  also  is  in  heaven.”  “  Put 
on,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of 
mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meekness, 
long-suffering;  forbearing  one  another  in  love,  and 
forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  quarrel 
against  any;  even  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also 
do  ye.” 

Such  is  the  general  scope  of  the  instructions 
which  the  Apostles  delivered,  in  all  their  communi¬ 
cations  to  the  Christian  churches,  whether  composed 
of  Jews  or  of  Gentiles.  And  had  it  not  been  for 
the  strong  prejudices  of  the  Jews,  and  the  erroneous 
conceptions  of  the  Gentiles,  which  the  Apostles  had 
to  combat,  it  is  probable  that  the  whole  of  their 
Epistles  would  have  been  solely  occupied  in  delineat¬ 
ing  the  practical  effects  of  love  to  God,  and  to  our 
brethren  of  mankind,  and  its  glorious  consequences 
in  the  future  world.  And,  as  it  was  the  great  aim 
of  the  Apostles  themselves,  in  their  writings  and 
personal  ministrations,  to  illustrate  the  numerous 
bearings  of  Christian  love,  so  they  gave  solemn 
charges  to  their  successors  in  the  work  of  the  minis¬ 
try,  to  make  all  their  instructions  subservient  to  the 
promotion  of  the  same  important  object.  Almost 
the  whole  of  the  Epistles  addressed  to  Timothy  and 
Titus,  which  relate  to  the  duties  and  the  objects  of 
the  Christian  ministry,  has  a  reference,  not  to  the 
discussion  of  metaphysical  questions  in  theology, 
which  “  are  unprofitable  and  vain,”  but  to  the  illus¬ 
tration,  and  the  inculcating  of  those  practical  duties 
which  flow  from  the  spirit  of  love,  and  to  the  coun¬ 
teracting  of  those  proud,  malignant,  and  speculative 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


233 


dispositions,  which  are  opposed  to  the  meekness  and 
benignity  of  the  gospel  of  peace.  If  these  things 
be  so,  what  shall  we  think  of  those  Christian  pas¬ 
tors  whose  attention  is  almost  wholly  engrossed  in 
discussions  on  election  and  predestination,  on  free¬ 
will  and  perseverance,  on  the  Sonship  of  Christ,  on 
the  hypostatical  union  of  the  human  and  Divine  na¬ 
tures,  on  virtual  and  actual  mediation,  and  such  like 
topics,  while  the  numerous  ramifications  of  Christian 
love,  and  the  great  objects  of  Christian  morality,  are 
either  wholly  overlooked,  or  thrown  into  the  shade  ? 
We  must  conclude,  that  they  have  never  yet  appre¬ 
ciated  the  great  objects  of  Divine  Revelation,  and 
have  never  studied  nor  understood  the  instructions 
delivered  by  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles. 

I  might  also  have  shown,  by  numerous  quotations, 
that,  in  the  general  Epistles  of  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  the  same  grand  object  to  which  I  have  been 
adverting  is  steadily  and  uniformly  kept  in  view. 
The  first  Epistle  of  John  is  almost  exclusively  devoted 
to  the  illustration  of  the  love  of  God  and  of  man; 
and  on  this  theme,  in  which  his  soul  appears  to  be 
almost  entirely  absorbed,  he  expatiates  with  peculiar 
energy  and  delight :  <{  We  know  that  we  have  passed 
from  death  to  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren. 
He  that  loveth  not  his  brother  abideth  in  death. 
Whosoever  hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer ;  and 
ye  know  that  no  murderer  hath  [the  principle  of] 
eternal  life  abiding  in  him.  Behold,  what  manner 
of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  on  us,  that  we 
should  be  called  the  sons  of  God  !  Beloved,  let  us 
love  one  another;  for  love  is  of  God  :  and  every  one 
that  loveth  is  born  of  God,  and  knoweth  God.  He 


234 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  God ;  for  God  is  love. 
No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time.  If  we  love  one 
another,  God  dvvelleth  in  us,  and  his  love  is  per¬ 
fected  in  us.  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God,  and  hateth 
his  brother,  he  is  a  liar;  for  he  that  loveth  not  his 
brother,  whom  he  hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God, 
whom  he  hath  not  seen  ?”  It  is  recorded  by  some 
ancient  authors,  that  when  this  Apostle  was  grown 
old,  and  unable  to  preach,  he  used  to  be  led  to  the 
church  at  Ephesus,  and  only  to  say  these  words  to  the 
people,  “  Little  children,  love  one  another.”  Such 
was  the  importance  which  this  venerable  Apostle  at¬ 
tached  to  love ,  as  the  grand  and  governing  principle 
in  the  Christian  system. 

The  book  of  Revelation,  which  closes  the  canon 
of  Scripture,  was  written  by  the  same  amiable  “  ser¬ 
vant  of  Jesus  Christ:”  and  its  great  object  is,  not  to 
gratify  the  curiosity  of  speculative  commentators,  by 
enabling  them  to  settle  the  dates  of  either  past  or 
future  events ;  hut  to  portray  the  operations  of  ma¬ 
levolence,  and  the  dreadful  havoc  which  would  be 
produced  by  the  lawless  passions  of  men,  represented 
by  the  stings  of  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  the 
teeth  of  lions,  and  by  fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone, 
issuing  from  their  mouths — to  display  the  agency  of 
God  in  directing  and  controlling  the  wrath  of  man — 
to  exhibit  the  gradual  progress  of  the  gospel  of  peace 
in  the  midst  of  all  the  opposition  of  its  enemies — 
and  to  depict  the  glories  of  that  blissful  era,  when 
love  shall  reign  triumphant  over  every  malignant 
passion;  when  “the  tabernacle  of  God  shall  be  with 
men;”  when  tears  shall  be  wiped  from  all  faces;  and 
when  there  shall  be  no  more  slaughter,  nor  sorrow', 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  SCRIPTURE. 


235 


nor  crying;  but  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will  to¬ 
wards  men. 

Finally,  the  procedure  of  the  last  judgment  will  be 
conducted  on  evidence,  deduced  from  the  manifesta¬ 
tions  of  love.  At  that  solemn  period,  when  the  pre¬ 
sent  economy  of  Divine  Providence  shall  come  to  a 
termination ;  when  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fer¬ 
vent  heat,  and  the  great  globe  on  which  we  tread  shall 
be  wrapt  in  flames;  when  the  Archangel  shall  descend, 
and  sound  an  alarm  with  “the  trump  of  God;”  when 
the  graves  shall  open,  and  give  forth  their  dead;  and 
when  all  the  generations  of  men,  “  both  small  and 
great,”  shall  stand  before  the  throne  of  God ;  the 
eternal  destiny  of  all  the  millions  of  mankind  will  be 
unalterably  determined,  on  the  ground  of  the  mani¬ 
festations  which  have  been  given  of  the  existence  and 
the  operation  of  the  principle  of  love,  and  of  the  af¬ 
fections  and  conduct  to  which  it  is  opposed.  “  When 
the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the 
holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne 
of  his  glory.  And  before  him  shall  be  assembled  all 
nations.  Then  shall  he  say  to  them  on  his  right  hand, 
Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
For  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was 
thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and 
ye  took  me  in ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me ;  I  was 
sick,  and  ye  visited  me  ;  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came 
unto  me.”  And  though  you  had  no  opportunity  of 
performing  these  offices  to  me  in  person,  yet,  “  inas¬ 
much  as  ye  did  it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me.”  “  Then  shall  he  also 
say  to  them  on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye 


236 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


cursed;  for  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  no 
meat;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink;  I  was 
a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in  ;  naked,  and  ye 
clothed  me  not ;  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited 
me  not.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me. 
And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment, 
but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal.”  For  every  one 
shall  be  rewarded  according  to  his  works. — Such  is 

O 

the  importance  which  will  be  attached  to  the  influence 
of  this  holy  affection  over  the  human  mind,  at  that 
i(  day  of  dread,  decision,  and  despair ;”  for  it  is  quite 
obvious,  that  every  action  here  specified  in  relation 
to  the  righteous,  is  an  effect  of  the  love  of  God  and 
of  man  presiding  in  the  heart;  and,  therefore,  if  we 
shall  ultimately  be  found  destitute  of  this  holy  prin¬ 
ciple,  we  cannot  expect  the  reward  of  the  faithful, 
nor  “  have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judgment.” 

Thus  it  appears,  that  it  is  the  great  end  of  all  the 
historical  facts,  the  religious  institutions,  the  devo¬ 
tional  writings,  the  moral  maxims,  the  instructions  of 
the  prophets,  the  warnings,  exhortations,  promises, 
and  threatenings,  comprised  in  the  Jewish  revelation, 
to  illustrate  and  enforce  the  law  of  love  in  its  refer¬ 
ences  both  to  God  and  to  man — that  it  is  explained 
and  illustrated  in  the  various  instructions  delivered 
by  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  enforced  by  his  example 
— that  its  numerous  bearings  and  modifications  are 
displayed  in  the  writings  of  all  the  apostles ;  and  in 
their  instructions  to  Christian  teachers — and,  that  its 
existence  in  the  heart,  and  its  operation  in  active 
life,  will  form  the  decisive  test  of  our  characters  at 
the  final  judgment. 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  237 


SECTION  VIII. 

On  the  practical  operation  of  Love ,  and  the  various 
modes  in  which  it  should  be  displayed  towards  man¬ 
kind. 

We  have  already  seen,  that  love  is  a  most  noble 
and  expansive  affection.  It  is  not  like  a  blazing 
meteor  which  dazzles  the  eye  for  a  few  moments, 
and  then  vanishes  from  the  sight.  It  does  not  con¬ 
sist  merely  in  a  few  transient  emotions,  and  fruitless 
wishes,  for  the  good  of  others.  It  does  not  waste 
its  energies  in  eloquent  harangues  on  the  beauty  of 
virtue,  in  theorizing  speculations  on  the  principles  of 
morals,  in  framing  Quixotic  schemes  of  philanthropy, 
or  in  weeping  over  tales  of  fictitious  woe.  It  is  a 
substantial  and  an  ever  active  principle ;  its  energies 
are  exerted  for  the  purpose  of  communicating  hap¬ 
piness  to  every  rank  of  sensitive  and  intellectual  be¬ 
ings  ;  and  the  moral  world,  as  it  actually  exists,  is  the 
grand  theatre  of  its  operations.  I  have  already  en¬ 
deavoured  to  illustrate  some  of  the  modifications  of 
this  affection,  in  its  relation  to  God  ;*  and,  in  the 
preceding  sections  of  this  chapter,  have  occasionally 
adverted  to  some  of  its  benignant  effects  in  reference 
to  man.  It  may  however  be  expedient,  in  this 
place,  to  enter  a  little  more  explicitly  into  the  practi¬ 
cal  operation  of  benevolence,  and  the  various  modes 
by  which  its  influence  may  be  manifested  in  relation 
to  our  brethren  of  mankind. 


*  See  pp.  1 10 — 123. 


238 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


The  grand  object  which  love  proposes  to  accom¬ 
plish  is  the  communication  of  happiness.  And,  in 
order  to  stimulate  and  direct  us  in  its  operations,  the 
character  and  agency  of  God  are  set  before  us  as  our 
exemplar.  There  is  not  a  more  amiable,  attractive, 
nor  comprehensive  idea  of  the  Divine  Being  any 
where  to  be  found,  than  that  which  is  exhibited  by 
the  Apostle  John,  in  three  words — God  is  love. 
He  is  the  eternal,  uncreated  Source  of  felicity,  from 
which  flow  all  those  streams  of  joy  which  gladden 
the  hearts  of  angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and 
seraphim  ;  and  whatever  portion  of  happiness,  sensi¬ 
tive  or  intellectual,  is  enjoyed  by  man  on  earth,  and 
by  all  the  subordinate  tribes  of  animated  nature,  is 
derived  from  the  same  inexhaustible  fountain.  For 
the  purpose  of  communicating  happiness,  he  called 
the  material  universe  into  existence,  to  serve  as  an 
immense  theatre,  on  which  his  benevolence  might  be 
displayed  to  countless  orders  of  sensitive  and  intelli¬ 
gent  creatures  ;  and  all  the  perfections  of  his  nature 
may  be  considered  as  so  many  agents  employed  for 
the  execution  of  this  noble  design.  Impelled,  as  it 
were,  by  this  essential  and  characteristic  affection  of 
the  Divine  Mind,  all  the  attributes  of  Deity  are  in¬ 
cessantly  operating  throughout  the  immensity  of 
creation,  in  the  view  of  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds. 
His  Omnipotence  is  employed  in  supporting  the 
worlds  already  created,  and  in  bringing  new  systems 
and  new  orders  of  beings  into  existence  ;  and  his 
Wisdom ,  in  devising,  selecting,  and  arranging  those 
means  which  are  requisite  for  accomplishing  the  plans 
of  benevolence.  Towards  those  wretched  beings 
who  have  abused  his  goodness,  and  w'andered  from 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  239 


happiness,  his  Mercy  is  proclaimed ;  and  his  Patience 
and  forbearance  are  long  exercised,  in  order  to  lead 
them  to  repentance,  and  to  the  paths  of  felicity. 
His  Justice ,  conjoined  with  his  power,  is  exercised  for 
the  purpose  of  restraining  the  efforts  of  malevolence, 
for  preventing  the  inroads  of  anarchy  and  confusion, 
and  for  preserving  the  order  and  happiness  of  the 
intelligent  creation.  In  this  view,  all  the  judg¬ 
ments  which  have  been  inflicted  on  the  workers  of 
iniquity  in  every  age,  have  had  a  tendency  to  accom¬ 
plish  the  purposes  of  benevolence,  in  reference  to  the 
universal  system.  For,  the  general  good  of  God’s 
universal  empire,  considered  as  one  whole ,  must  be 
viewed  as  the  great  end  which  benevolence  is  accom¬ 
plishing;  and  the  partial  exclusions  from  happiness, 
which  now  happen  in  the  case  of  certain  classes  of 
moral  agents,  must  be  regarded  as  necessary  arrange¬ 
ments  subservient  to  this  important  end.  His  in¬ 
finite  Knowledge ,  extending  to  all  events,  past,  pre¬ 
sent,  and  to  come;  and  his  Omniscient  eye,  piercing 
into  the  secret  purposes  of  every  heart,  surveying 
the  various  tribes  of  men,  and  the  circumstances  of 
all  the  worlds  which  float  in  the  immensity  of  space, 
and  comprehending  the  remotest  consequences  of  all 
actions  throughout  infinite  duration,  enable  Him,  in 
every  instance,  to  form  those  arrangements  by  which 
the  objects  of  benevolence  may  be  accomplished  on 
the  most  extensive  scale,  and  by  which  the  everlast¬ 
ing  happiness  of  the  holy  and  intelligent  system  may 
be  most  effectually  secured. 

For  the  purpose  of  displaying  his  love  to  the 
moral  intelligences  of  our  world,  he  has  given  us  a 
revelation  of  his  character  and  will;  he  has  exhibited 


240 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


his  law  as  a  law  of  love ;  he  has  promised  the  agency 
of  his  Holy  Spirit,  to  produce  in  us  those  disposi¬ 
tions  which  his  law  requires;  and  he  has  given  the 
most  affecting  display  of  his  love,  in  the  mission  of 
his  Son  into  the  world.  “  In  this,”  says  the  Apostle 
John,  “was  manifested  the  love  of  God  towards  us; 
because  that  God  sent  his  only-begotten  Son  into 
the  world,  that  we  might  live  through  him.  Herein 
is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us, 
and  sent  his  Son  to  be  a  propitiation  for  our  sins. 
Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  how  ought  we  to  love 
one  another?” 

Now,  we  are  commanded  in  the  sacred  Scriptures 
to  be  imitators  of  God  in  his  benevolent  operations, 
and  especially  in  those  cases  in  which  love  requires  to 
surmount  every  obstacle,  and  to  exert  all  its  powers 
in  opposition  to  hatred,  enmity,  and  ingratitude. 
“  Be  ye  perfect,”  says  our  Saviour,  “as  your  Father 
who  is  in  heaven  is  perfect.  Love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that 
hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  who  despitefully  use 
you,  and  persecute  you  ;  that  you  may  be  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  :  for  he  maketh 
his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and 
sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust .” — In  like 
manner,  the  operation  of  love  on  the  part  of  man 
may  be  considered  as  the  whole  energy  of  an  intelli¬ 
gent  mind,  directing  its  faculties  of  perception,  judg¬ 
ment,  reasoning,  and  imagination,  along  with  its 
physical  powers,  to  the  production  of  happiness  both 
among  friends  and  enemies,  so  far  as  its  influence 
can  extend.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  noble  end, 
man  becomes  “  a  worker  together  with  God,”  a  sub- 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  241 

ordinate  agent  in  carrying  forward  those  plans  of 
Infinite  Benevolence  which  will  issue  in  the  ultimate 
happiness  of  the  moral  universe.  And  as  the  Al¬ 
mighty,  in  his  benevolent  operations,  preserves  the 
harmony  of  the  universe  by  certain  laws  of  order 
which  he  has  established,  as  is  apparent  in  the  ar¬ 
rangement  of  the  planetary  system,  and  in  the  physi¬ 
cal  and  moral  economy  of  our  terrestrial  sphere ;  so 
it  is  the  duty  of  man,  in  all  the  movements  to  which 
love  impels  him,  to  imitate  his  Creator  in  this  re¬ 
spect,  and  to  employ  the  intellectual  faculties  with 
which  he  is  endued,  for  regulating  the  exercise  of 
the  benevolent  principle,  for  adapting  and  propor¬ 
tionating  means  to  ends,  and  for  discriminating  be¬ 
tween  rational  and  enthusiastic  schemes  of  exertion  ; 
so  that  order  may  facilitate  his  movements,  and  that 
the  greatest  sum  of  happiness  may  result  from  his 
active  endeavours. 

We  may  now  attend  more  particularly  to  the 
practical  operations  of  love,  and  the  objects  towards 
which  it  should  be  directed. 

The  principal  objects  towards  which  our  benevo¬ 
lence  should  be  directed  are,  intelligent  beings  ;  and, 
in  the  sphere  of  action  to  which  we  are  at  present 
confined,  man  is  the  chief  object  whom  we  have  it 
in  our  power  to  benefit  by  our  benevolent  exertions. 
Our  benevolent  affections,  indeed,  ought  to  expand 
towards  all  the  holy  intelligences  of  which  we  have 
any  intimation ;  and,  in  another  stage  of  our  exist¬ 
ence,  we  may  have  an  opportunity  of  mingling  with 
other  orders  of  intellectual  beings,  and  of  co-operat¬ 
ing  with  them  in  diffusing  happiness  throughout  the 
universe :  but,  while  we  continue  in  this  sublunary 

d.  2.  L 


242 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


region,  the  improvement  and  happiness  of  our  fel¬ 
low-men  is  the  chief  object  to  which  our  exertions 
must  necessarily  be  confined;  and  when  we  contem¬ 
plate  the  present  state  of  the  moral  world,  in  all  na¬ 
tions,  we  behold  a  field  of  exertion  sufficiently  ample 
to  employ  all  the  energies  of  benevolence  that  have 
ever  yet  been  displayed,  or  perhaps  ever  will  be  dis¬ 
played,  during  the  existing  economy  of  our  world. 

Man  may  be  considered  in  two  points  of  view — as 
possessed  of  a  body ,  which  is  susceptible  of  agreeable 
or  disagreeable  sensations  and  feelings ;  and  as  en¬ 
dued  with  a  mind ,  or  spiritual  principle,  which  is 
capable  of  perpetual  improvement  in  knowledge  and 
virtue,  and  which  is  destined  to  an  endless  existence. 
In  both  these  respects,  Love  will  exert  its  powers  in 
meliorating  the  condition  and  promoting  the  enjoy¬ 
ments  of  mankind.  In  regard  to  his  corporeal  sys¬ 
tem,  Man  has  various  wants  which  require  to  be 
supplied,  and  he  is  subjected  to  various  sufferings 
which  require  to  be  soothed  and  alleviated.  He 
stands  in  need  of  food,  raiment,  shelter  from  the 
blasts  of  the  tempest ;  comfortable  lodging  and  ac¬ 
commodation;  light  to  cheer  and  to  enable  him  to 
prosecute  his  employments;  pure  atmospheric  air  to 
invigorate  his  animal  system,  and  water  to  cleanse 
and  refresh  him.  He  is  exposed  to  corporeal  weak¬ 
ness  and  to  mental  imbecility :  to  pain,  sickness, 
and  disease ;  to  the  loss  of  sight,  of  hearing,  and  of 
bodily  feeling;  to  the  decrepitude  of  old  age;  and 
to  all  those  lingering  disorders  which  terminate  in 
dissolution.  He  is  also  exposed  to  the  afflictions 
occasioned  by  the  loss  of  friends  and  relatives :  to 
dejection  of  mind;  to  remorse  of  conscience;  to 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  243 

doubt,  despondency,  and  despair;  and  to  a  long 
train  of  anxieties,  perplexities,  and  troubles  of  vari¬ 
ous  kinds.  Now,  in  reference  to  the  wants  of  man¬ 
kind,  love,  when  genuine  and  ardent,  will  endeavour 
to  supply  them,  wherever  a  deficiency  is  known  to 
exist ;  and,  in  reference  to  their  calamities  and  sor¬ 
rows,  it  will  use  its  utmost  exertions  to  relieve  and 
assuage  them,  in  as  far  as  its  powers  and  influence 
can  extend.  In  this  respect,  every  one,  however 
low  his  situation  in  life,  however  limited  the  range 
of  his  knowledge,  and  however  contracted  the  sphere 
of  his  influence  may  be,  has  it  in  his  power,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  to  communicate  blessings  to 
his  brethren  of  mankind.  He  can  visit  the  sick-bed 
of  an  afflicted  neighbour;  he  can  supply  a  cup  of 
cold  water  to  cool  his  parched  tongue ;  he  can  wipe 
the  sweat  from  his  forehead;  he  can  smooth  his  pil¬ 
low;  he  can  turn  him  round  on  his  bed  of  languish¬ 
ing,  that  he  may  enjoy  a  more  comfortable  repose ; 
and  he  can  cheer  him  with  those  expressions  of 
tenderness  and  affection,  which  have  a  tendency, 
above  all  other  acts  of  kindness,  to  sooth  and  revive 
the  downcast  spirit.  He  can  assist  his  neighbour 
by  his  strength  or  by  his  skill,  by  his  counsel  and 
advice,  and  by  taking  a  lively  interest  in  his  con¬ 
cerns;  he  can  promote  his  joy,  by  rejoicing  in  his 
prosperity  and  success,  by  assisting  him  in  his  em¬ 
ployment,  by  rescuing  him  from  danger,  by  forgiving 
the  injuries  he  may  have  received,  by  acknowledging 
the  worth  of  the  skill,  virtues,  and  endowments  of 
which  he  is  possessed,  and  by  listening,  with  patience 
and  complacency,  to  his  sentiments,  complaints,  or 
grievances.  He  can  even  promote  the  happiness  of 

l  2 


2  44 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


his  neighbour  in  a  negative  way,  by  not  injuring  him 
in  his  character  or  reputation,  by  not  standing  in 
the  way  of  his  prosperity  or  advancement,  by  not 
thwarting  him  in  his  schemes  and  enterprises,  by 
not  interrupting  him  in  his  innocent  amusements, 
and  by  refraining  from  every  thing  that  would  tend 
unnecessarily  to  injure  him  in  his  trade  or  profession. 
Such  friendly  attentions  to  promote  the  comfort  of 
his  fellow-men,  every  one  has  it  in  his  power  to  be¬ 
stow  ;  and,  upon  such  apparently  trivial  actions,  the 
happiness  of  mankind  in  general  more  immediately 
depends,  than  on  many  of  those  legislative  arrange¬ 
ments  which  arrest  the  attention  of  a  whole  empire. 
For,  were  they  universally  performed,  the  greater 
part  of  the  miseries  which  afflict  humanity  would 
disappear  from  the  world. 

But,  in  cases  where  a  high  degree  of  intellectual 
talent,  of  wealth,  and  of  influence  is  possessed,  love 
is  enabled  to  take  a  wider  range  in  its  beneficent 
operations — by  endeavouring  to  counteract  public 
evils,  and  to  promote  rational  schemes  of  general 
philanthropy.  When  we  take  a  survey  of  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  great  mass  of  the  lower  orders  of  so¬ 
ciety,  we  find  them  labouring  under  many  physical 
evils  and  inconveniences,  which  have  a  tendency  to 
injure  their  health  and  comfort,  and  to  obstruct  their 
moral  and  intellectual  improvement.  In  their  pri¬ 
vate  habitations,  we  find  multitudes  of  them  residing 
in  places  where  they  are  almost  deprived  of  light 
and  of  pure  air;  and  surrounded  with  noxious  efflu¬ 
via,  putrid  smells,  and  every  thing  that  is  insalu¬ 
brious  and  offensive  to  the  senses.  We  find  whole 
families  packed  into  an  apartment  of  twelve  feet 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  245 

square,  in  a  narrow  lane  where  the  rays  of  the  sun 
never  penetrate,  where  the  refreshing  breeze  is  sel¬ 
dom  felt,  and  where  the  beauties  of  nature  are  never 
beheld.  In  public  manufactories  we  find  hundreds 
of  men,  women,  and  children,  with  pale  faces  and 
emaciated  looks,  breathing  a  polluted  atmosphere, 
half-poisoned  with  deleterious  fumes,  steam,  smoke, 
or  noxious  gases.  In  large  cities  we  find  numbers 
of  children,  through  the  carelessness  and  unprin¬ 
cipled  disposition  of  their  parents,  left  to  wallow  in 
filth  and  wretchedness,  without  even  rags  to  cover 
their  nakedness,  and  encouraged  in  the  habits  of 
pilfering,  and  of  every  other  vice  which  can  debase 
their  minds  and  render  them  pests  to  society ;  and 
we  behold  others  doomed  to  the  degrading  employ¬ 
ment  of  chimney-sweeping,  deprived  of  the  attentions 
which  flow  from  the  tender  affection  of  parents,  and 
subjected  to  the  harsh  treatment  of  unfeeling  mas¬ 
ters.  We  behold  multitudes  of  human  beings  torn 
from  their  families  and  their  native  land,  cooped  up 
in  an  infernal  floating  dungeon,  carried  to  a  foreign 
land,  sold  like  cattle  to  an  avaricious  planter,  and 
held  in  the  chains  of  perpetual  slavery.  In  refer¬ 
ence  to  all  these,  and  similar  evils  which  exist  in 
human  society,  love  will  exert  its  energies  either  to 
alleviate  or  to  remove  them.  It  will  induce  one  in¬ 
dividual  to  investigate  their  causes,  to  point  out  the 
proper  means  of  remedy,  and  to  publish  to  the  world 
the  result  of  his  deliberations  and  researches.  It 
will  induce  another  to  apply  the  discoveries  of  na¬ 
tural  science,  and  the  inventions  of  art,  to  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  improving  the  physical  condition  of  mankind. 
It  will  induce  a  third  individual,  in  conjunction  with 


246 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


others,  to  form  rational  plans  of  melioration,  and  to 
organize  societies  to  carry  them  into  effect :  and  it 
will  impel  others  to  come  forward  with  their  wealth 
and  influence  to  provide  the  means  for  carrying  for¬ 
ward,  on  the  most  extensive  scale,  the  plans  of  gen¬ 
eral  beneficence.  In  short,  the  whole  machinery  of 
nature  and  art,  of  mind  and  matter,  of  religion  and 
literature,  of  science  and  legislation,  would  be  set  in 
motion  to  promote  the  external  enjoyments  of  man¬ 
kind,  were  love  a  predominant  principle  in  human 
society.  Cottages  on  commodious  and  healthy  plans 
would  be  reared  for  the  industrious  poor;  streets 
would  be  formed,  and  gardens  allotted  them,  for 
their  pleasure  and  accommodation :  public  manufac¬ 
tories  would  be  arranged  and  regulated  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  contribute  to  health,  to  comfort,  and 
to  rational  improvement  :*  the  children  of  the  poor 
would  be  fed  and  clothed,  and  trained  to  habits  of 
industry  and  virtue ;  employment  would  be  provided 
for  all  classes  of  labourers  and  mechanics,  and  sub¬ 
sistence  furnished  when  employment  could  not  be 

*  Some  may  be  disposed  to  insinuate,  that  such  attempts  would 
be  altogether  visionary,  and  could  never  be  realized.  But  I  would 
ask  such  persons,  Have  such  schemes  ever  been  attempted  to  be 
realized  on  an  extensive  scale?  Has  the  promotion  of  the  health 
and  comfort  of  the  industrious  poor  ever  become  o  particular  ob¬ 
ject  of  attention  to  the  legislature,  to  men  of  rank  and  influence, 
and  to  the  whole  class  of  opulent  manufacturers  ?  Is  it  not  a 
fact,  that  while  the  acquisition  of  wealth  is  made  the  main  object 
of  attention,  the  melioration  of  the  condition  of  the  industrious 
labourer  and  mechanic  is  either  altogether  overlooked,  or  viewed 
as  a  very  subordinate  object  of  attention?  He  is  generally  left 
to  shift  for  himself  the  best  way  he  can,  and  left  to  breathe  in  an 
impure  atmosphere  without  any  particular  sacrifice  being  made 
to  remedy  the  evil.  I  venture  to  affirm,  that  were  the  comfort 
of  the  lower  orders  of  society  made  as  particular  an  object  of 
attention  as  is  the  acquisition  of  wealth,  every  obstacle  to  its 
accomplishment  would  soon  be  removed. 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  247 


procured;  idleness  would  be  universally  discouraged, 
and  honourable  industry  would  be  rewarded  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  afford  not  only  the  comforts,  but  even 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life ;  slavery,  in  every  shape, 
with  all  its  injustice  and  cruelties,  would  be  abolished, 
and  rational  liberty  would  be  proclaimed  among  all 
ranks  and  in  every  clime. 

Thus  the  man  in  whose  heart  love  presides,  takes 
a  lively  and  sincere  interest  in  every  thing  that  has 
a  tendency  to  promote  the  external  comfort  and  wel¬ 
fare  of  his  neighbour.  He  is  compassionate  and  mer¬ 
ciful,  gentle  and  indulgent,  kind  and  tender-hearted, 
generous  and  humane ;  he  feels  for  the  sorrows  of 
suffering  humanity,  and  his  wealth  and  activity  are 
directed  to  relieve  the  distresses  of  the  poor  and  the 
afflicted,  to  feed  the  hungry,  to  clothe  the  naked, 
to  protect  the  widow  and  the  orphan,  to  encourage 
honest  industry,  to  meliorate  the  condition  of  the 
useful  mechanic,  and  to  increase  and  extend  his  com¬ 
forts  and  enjoyments.  Of  such  a  one  it  may  be  said, 
in  the  language  of  Job,  “  He  is  eyes  to  the  blind, 
feet  to  the  lame,  and  a  father  to  the  poor.  When 
the  ear  hears  him,  then  it  blesses  him,  and  when  the 
eye  sees  him,  it  gives  witness  to  him ;  because  he 
delivers  the  poor  that  cries,  the  fatherless,  and  him 
that  hath  none  to  help  him.  The  blessing  of  him 
that  was  ready  to  perish  comes  upon  him,  and  he 
causes  the  widow’s  heart  to  sing  for  joy.” 

But  the  activities  of  benevolence  are  not  confined 
to  the  communication  of  sensitive  enjoyments.  Man 
is  a  rational  and  immortal,  as  well  as  a  sensitive  be¬ 
ing  ;  and  the  operations  of  genuine  love  will  have  for 
their  ultimate  object  the  promotion  of  his  best  inter- 


248 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ests  as  a  moral  and  intellectual  agent,  and  as  an  heir 
of  immortality. 

When  we  consider  man  as  an  intellectual  being, 
standing  in  various  important  relations  to  his  God 
and  to  his  fellow-creatures,  we  behold  numerous  evils 
which  require  to  be  remedied,  as  well  as  in  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  his  physical  condition.  Though  the 
human  mind  is  capable  of  vast  expansion,  of  acquir¬ 
ing  an  immense  number  of  sublime  and  interesting 
ideas,  and  of  enjoying  the  purest  pleasure  in  con¬ 
templating  the  objects  which  lie  within  its  range, 
yet  it  is  a  melancholy  fact,  that  in  all  ages  mental 
darkness  has  enveloped  the  great  majority  of  our 
race;  and  that  the  grossest  ignorance  of  the  most 
important  truths,  accompanied  with  the  most  degrad¬ 
ing  affections,  still  prevails  among  the  greater  part 
of  the  population  of  every  region  of  the  globe.  We 
need  not  go  to  the  frozen  climes  of  Lapland  and 
Labrador,  to  the  filthy  huts  of  the  Greenlander  and 
the  Esquimaux,  to  the  rude  savages  of  Nootk3 
Sound,  to  the  degraded  tribes  of  New  Holland  and 
Van  Diemen’s  Land,  to  the  wild  and  wretched 
Boshemen  and  Caffres,  or  to  the  swarthy  sons  of 
Central  Africa,  in  order  to  be  convinced  of  this  la¬ 
mentable  truth.  We  need  only  look  around  us 
among  the  various  ranks  of  our  own  population,  and 
we  shall  not  fail  to  see  ignorance,  in  all  its  diversi¬ 
fied  forms,  exerting  its  malign  influence  over  the 
minds  of  men,  accompanied  with  superstition,  enthu¬ 
siasm,  bigotry,  intolerance,  and  every  grovelling  af¬ 
fection  that  can  debase  the  human  mind.  Multitudes 
of  the  young,  both  in  the  city  and  in  the  country, 
are  suffered  to  shoot  up  from  infancy  to  manhood* 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  249 

as  if  they  were  mere  animal  existences,  ignorant  of 
the  character  and  operations  of  God,  of  the  duties 
they  owe  to  their  Creator  and  to  one  another,  and 
of  the  eternal  state  of  existence  to  which  they  are 
destined.  Even  in  many  of  those  places  where  in¬ 
struction  is  attempted  to  be  communicated,  what  a 
pitiful  picture  is  exhibited  of  the  results  of  education, 
and  of  the  folly  which  attaches  itself  to  the  character 
of  man  !  The  pronunciation  of  a  number  of  un¬ 
meaning  words,  the  reciting  of  passages  which  the 
young  cannot  understand,  the  repetition  of  a  few 
propositions  in  religion  to  which  no  ideas  are  attached, 
and  the  casting  of  a  few  accounts,  are  considered  as 
sufficient  to  lead  them  forward  in  the  path  of  know¬ 
ledge  and  virtue;  and  are  substituted  in  the  place 
of  those  definite  and  luminous  instructions  which  are 
requisite  to  expand  the  opening  intellect,  to  convey 
distinct  ideas  to  the  mind,  to  unfold  the  scenes  of 
creation  and  providence,  to  display  the  character  of 
God,  and  to  train  up  the  youthful  mind  to  glory  and 
immortality. 

Now,  in  reference  to  the  ignorance  which  prevails 
in  the  world,  love  to  man,  as  an  intellectual  being, 
will  excite  to  active  endeavours  in  order  to  counteract 
its  influence.  It  will  prove  an  excitement  to  the 
erection  of  seminaries  of  instruction  wherever  they 
are  deficient ;  it  will  patronize  every  scheme  and 
every  exertion  by  which  knowledge  may  be  increased; 
and  will  diffuse  mental  illumination  as  far  as  the 
sphere  of  its  influence  extends.  It  will  not  rest 
satisfied  with  the  form  of  instruction  without  the 
substance — with  the  elements  of  language  without 
the  elements  of  thought — with  the  key  of  knowledge 

l  3 


250 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


without  knowledge  itself;  but  will  devise  rational 
plans  for  conveying  substantial  information  to  the 
minds  of  the  young,  so  as  to  win  their  affections, 
arrest  their  attention,  and  carry  them  forward  with 
pleasure  in  the  paths  of  improvement.  It  will  not 
offer  them  stones  and  ashes  instead  of  bread,  but  will 
spread  before  them  an  intellectual  feast,  and  “  feed 
them  with  knowledge  and  understanding.”  It  will 
not  confine  its  attention  merely  to  the  instruction  of 
the  young;  but  will  endeavour,  by  writing,  by  con¬ 
versation,  by  lectures,  by  lending  and  circulating 
books,  by  establishing  public  libraries,  and  by  organ¬ 
izing  rational  and  scientific  institutions — to  diffuse 
the  rays  of  intellectual  light  among  men  of  all  ages, 
ranks,  and  professions ;  and  will  never  cease  its  exer¬ 
tions,  till  ignorance,  with  all  its  degrading  accompani¬ 
ments,  be  banished  from  society,  and  till  the  light  of 
truth  illuminate  the  inhabitants  of  every  land.  In 
a  word,  it  will  endeavour  to  render  every  branch  of 
knowledge  subservient  to  the  illustration  of  the 
character  and  the  revelation  of  God,  and  to  the  pre¬ 
paring  of  mankind  for  the  employments  of  that  nobler 
state  of  existence  to  which  they  are  destined. 

Again,  as  man  is  possessed  of  an  immortal  nature, 
and,  in  his  present  state  of  sin  and  degradation,  is 
exposed  to  misery  in  the  future  world — so  it  is  one 
of  the  highest  offices  of  love  to  endeavour  to  promote 
the  eternal  salvation  of  mankind.  For  the  accom¬ 
plishment  of  this  important  object  all  its  activities 
are  consecrated,  and  all  its  other  labours  are  ren¬ 
dered  subservient.  To  improve  the  physical  con¬ 
dition  of  man  as  a  sensitive  being,  and  to  enlarge  his 
knowledge  as  an  intellectual,  while  we  overlook 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  251 

his  eternal  interests,  is  to  neglect  one  of  the  most 
important  duties  of  Christian  philanthropy.  The 
sensitive  enjoyments  of  man  are  conducive  to  his 
happiness  so  long  as  they  continue ;  and  <{  know¬ 
ledge  is  pleasant  to  the  soul.”  But  what  are  all  the 
acquisitions  and  enjoyments  of  time,  when  compared 
with  the  concerns  of  eternity  !  and  what  will  they 
avail,  if  their  possessor  be  found  unqualified  for  the 
employments  of  an  endless  life  !  If  the  soul  of  man 
be  an  immortal  principle,  and  if  the  least  danger 
exists  of  its  beii.g  deprived,  through  ignorance  and 
guilt,  of  happiness  in  the  future  world,  no  words  can 
express  the  importance  which  ought  to  be  attached 
to  this  “  labour  of  love.”  “  What  will  it  profit  a 
man  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
his  soul  ?”  And,  therefore,  the  man  in  whose  breast 
true  benevolence  resides,  will  consider  the  eternal 
happiness  of  his  fellow-immortals  as  the  grand  and 
ultimate  object,  which  ought  always  to  be  kept  in 
view,  and  will  exert  all  his  faculties,  powers,  and 
influence,  in  order  to  its  accomplishment.  He  will 
not  rest  satisfied  with  prayers  and  wishes  for  the 
salvation  of  men ;  he  will  not  wait  for  any  extraor¬ 
dinary  afflatus  of  the  Divine  Spirit:  but  will  prose¬ 
cute,  with  judgment  and  perseverance,  that  course 
of  active  duty  which  has  a  tendency  to  produce  the 
desired  effect.  So  far  as  the  circle  of  his  influence 
extends,  he  will  endeavour  to  instruct  the  ignorant, 
to  arouse  the  careless,  to  reclaim  the  dissipated,  to 
convince  the  sceptic,  to  train  up  the  young  in  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  in  the  paths  of  virtue,  and 
to  encourage  and  animate  every  one  who  is  inquiring 


252 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  way  to  eternal  life.  He  will  exhibit  religion  in 
its  most  amiable,  and  attractive,  and  sublime  aspects ; 
and  will  endeavour  to  fix  the  attention  on  the  lovely 
tempers  and  the  beneficial  effects  which  the  observ¬ 
ance  of  its  precepts  has  a  tendency  to  produce. 
He  will  not  make  it  his  chief  object  to  convert  men 
to  the  belief  of  certain  metaphysical  dogmas  in  reli¬ 
gion,  nor  to  gain  them  over  to  embrace  the  peculi¬ 
arities  of  a  party ;  but  to  produce  in  their  minds  a 
cordial  acquiescence  in  the  plan  of  salvation  which 
the  Gospel  exhibits,  a  reverence  of  the  divine  char¬ 
acter  and  perfections,  a  desire  to  cultivate  holy  tem¬ 
pers,  and  a  fixed  determination  to  walk  in  the  paths 
of  God’s  commandments. 

Such  a  character  will  give  every  due  encourage¬ 
ment,  by  his  advice  and  by  his  wealth,  to  Christian 
churches,  and  to  faithful  and  intelligent  ministers  of 
religion.  He  will  patronise  every  rational  scheme 
which  has  for  its  object  to  propagate  the  Gospel  of 
peace  among  all  nations.  He  will  encourage  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  languages  of 
all  kindreds  and  tribes;  he  will  give  countenance  to 
societies  formed  for  circulating  the  Bible  in  foreign 
lands ;  and  he  will  assist  in  sending  forth  intelligent 
and  philanthropic  missionaries  to  barbarous  and  un¬ 
enlightened  tribes,  for  the  purpose  of  diffusing  the 
blessings  of  knowledge,  civilization,  and  religion  ; 
and  he  will  rejoice  to  co-operate,  in  such  benevolent 
schemes,  with  all  who  sincerely  wish  to  promote  the 
best  interests  of  their  fellow-men,  by  whatever  name 
they  are  distinguished,  and  to  whatever  section  of 
the  Christian  church  they  may  belong. 

In  short,  love,  wrhen  genuine  and  ardent,  will  set 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE.  253 

itself  in  opposition  to  every  species  of  bigotry  and  in¬ 
tolerance,  and  to  all  those  petty  jealousies  and  bitter 
animosities  which  have  so  long  distracted  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  which  have  thrown  an  odium  on  its  char¬ 
acter,  and  prevented  the  harmonious  intercourse  of 
the  followers  of  Jesus.  It  will  make  every  sacrifice 
consistent  with  the  great  objects  of  Christianity,  and 
will  use  every  appropriate  mean,  to  heal  the  unhappy 
divisions  which  exist  in  the  religious  world,  and  to 
promote  an  affectionate  union  of  “  all  who  love  our 
Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity;”  in  order  that  the  church 
of  Christ  may  form  one  compact  harmonious  body  in 
opposition  to  atheists,  sceptics,  and  the  men  of  the 
world,  and  in  order  that  every  plan  and  effort  to 
diffuse  the  knowledge  and  influence  of  the  Christian 
religion  may  be  carried  more  speedily  and  more  ex¬ 
tensively  into  effect. 


With  regard  to  all  the  other  branches  of  Chris¬ 
tian  morality,  and  to  all  the  virtues  which  can  adorn 
the’human  character,  in  every  station  and  relation  in 
life,  they  will  be  found  to  flow  from  the  exercise  of 
the  principle  I  have  now  been  illustrating,  as  natu¬ 
rally  as  the  sap  flows  from  the  trunk  to  the  remotest 
ramifications  of  a  tree,  or  as  the  gas,  which  now  illu¬ 
minates  our  streets  and  churches,  flows  from  the  main 
gasometer,  through  hundreds  of  pipes,  to  all  the  dif¬ 
ferent  burners.  Sincerity  and  veracity  in  our  words 
and  actions,  honesty  and  fair  dealing  in  trade  and 
commerce,  fidelity  to  compacts  and  engagements,  a 
regard  to  public  liberty,  an  equitable  administration 
of  justice,  condescension  and  kindness  to  inferiors, 


254 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


reverence  and  respect  to  superiors,  submission  to 
just  laws  and  regulations,  a  cordial  interchange  of 
friendly  sentiments  and  affections;  courtesy,  affability, 
harmony,  and  good  neighbourhood;  modesty,  chastity, 
and  discretion;  forgiveness  of  injuries,  hospitality  to 
strangers,  humanity  to  servants  and  dependants, 
compassion  to  the  distressed;  parental,  filial,  and 
fraternal  affection ;  sympathy,  generosity,  temperance, 
and  fortitude,  together  with  all  the  other  social  virtues 
which  unite  man  to  man,  will  as  naturally  flow  from 
the  fountain  of  love,  when  it  exists  in  the  human 
breast,  as  water  flows  from  a  reservoir  through  all 
the  pipes  which  distribute  it  to  the  inhabitants  of  a 
large  city.  For  he  who  withholds  the  exercise  of 
such  virtues,  or  acts  in  direct  opposition  to  them,  can 
never  be  supposed  to  be  sincerely  attached  to  his 
fellow-creatures,  or  to  consult  their  happiness ;  and 
the  meaning  of  language  must  be  inverted  before  we 
can  apply  to  him  the  epithet  Benevolent ;  and  the 
order  of  the  moral  system  reversed,  before  we  can 
expect  happiness  to  flow  from  such  a  conduct. 

The  cardinal  virtues  have  been  arranged  by  some 
moralists  under  the  heads  of  Prudence ,  Temperance , 
Fortitude ,  and  Justice.  Prudence  consists  in  judg¬ 
ing  what  is  best,  in  the  choice  both  of  ends  and 
means,  particularly  in  reference  to  our  own  interests, 
and  to  the  good  or  evil  which  may  result  from  our 
choice.  Temperance  is  that  virtue  which  moderates 
and  restrains  the  sensual  appetites.  Fortitude  is  that 
calm  and  steady  habit  of  the  mind,  which  either  ena¬ 
bles  us  bravely  to  encounter  the  prospect  of  ill,  or 
renders  us  serene  and  invincible  under  its  immediate 
pressure.  Justice  is  that  virtue  which  impels  us  to 


CARDINAL  VIRTUES. 


255 


give  to  every  person  what  is  his  due.  Now,  it  could 
easily  be  shown  that  love  is  the  impelling  principle 
which  excites  to  the  exercise  of  all  these  virtues.  It 
will  lead  us  to  pay  a  due  regard  to  our  own  comfort 
and  interest,  but  not  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  in¬ 
terests,  or  to  obstruct  the  happiness  of  others.  It 
will  teach  us  to  preserve  the  dominion  of  the  soul 
over  sense  and  passion,  and  to  restrain  the  influence 
of  the  sensual  appetites,  from  considerations  drawn 
from  our  own  happiness,  and  from  the  good  of  others. 
For,  as  intemperance  kindles  the  fire  of  resentment 
and  the  flames  of  lust,  excites  to  boisterous  words  and 
to  lawless  actions,  wastes  the  substance  and  reduces 
families  to  wretchedness  and  ruin,  it  must  be  directly 
opposed  to  the  principle  of  benevolence.  It  will  in¬ 
spire  us  with  a  generous  and  heroic  indifference  to 
the  precarious  possessions  of  this  mortal  scene,  and 
will  excite  to  activity  and  perseverance  in  promoting 
human  happiness,  in  the  face  of  every  difficulty  and 
obstruction,  and  in  spite  of  obstinacy  and  ingratitude, 
and  of  all  the  sneers  and  reproaches  that  may  be 
thrown  upon  us  on  account  of  the  singularity  of  our 
conduct.  And  as  Justice  is  nothing  else  than  the 
measure  of  benevolence ,  it  will  uniformly  direct  us  to 
give  to  every  one  his  due,  and  restrain  us  from  with¬ 
holding  from  our  neighbour  any  thing  to  which  he  is 
entitled  by  equity  or  by  law.  And  in  cases  where 
the  division  of  property  is  concerned,  it  will,  in  many 
instances,  be  induced  to  relinquish  its  right,  when 
only  a  few  paltry  pounds  or  shillings  are  at  stake, 
rather  than  run  the  risk  of  dissolving  the  bonds  of 
affection  and  friendship. 

The  duties  of  morality  have  by  other  moralists, 


256 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


particularly  by  the  moderns,  been  arranged  into  the 
duties  we  owe  to  Gocl ,  as  piety,  reverence,  and  confi¬ 
dence  ; — the  duties  ice  owe  to  other  men ,  as  fidelity, 
loyalty,  humanity,  and  justice  ;  and  the  duties  we  owe 
to  ourselves ,  as  chastity,  sobriety,  and  temperance. 
From  what  has  been  already  stated,  both  in  this  and 
in  several  of  the  preceding  sections,  it  will  obviously 
appear,  that  all  these  classes  of  duties  necessarily  flow 
from  the  operation  of  that  expansive  principle,  which 
resides  originally  in  the  Eternal  Mind,  and  which 
pervades  the  minds  of  all  holy  intelligences. 

Finally,  the  man  who  is  animated  by  the  noble 
principle  of  benevolence,  will  endeavour  to  discharge 
with  fidelity  every  social  and  relative  duty,  and  will 
feel  an  interest  in  the  domestic  comfort  and  the  re¬ 
ligious  improvement  of  all  around  him.  He  will 
display  the  activities  of  this  holy  affection  more  im¬ 
mediately  in  the  family  in  which  he  resides,  as  a 
friend,  a  father,  a  husband,  a  son,  or  a  brother;  per¬ 
forming  with  punctuality  all  the  duties  which  such 
relations  include;  promoting  unity,  harmony,  affec¬ 
tion,  and  a  reciprocal  interchange  of  those  offices  of 
kindness  which  tend  to  secure  mutual  confidence, 
pleasure,  and  improvement.  From  the  family,  his 
affections  will  be  diffused  to  the  neighbourhood 
around,  in  all  the  forms  of  kindness,  compassion, 
charity,  generosity,  humanity,  and  justice.  He  will 
contemplate  every  member  of  society  as  a  kinsman 
and  a  brother;  he  will  feel  a  fraternal  attachment, 
he  will  delight  in  his  success  and  prosperity,  and  will 
endeavour  to  encourage  the  social  virtues,  and  to 
multiply  the  sources  of  enjoyment  wherever  his  in¬ 
fluence  extends.  From  the  circle  of  his  immediate 


PROGRESS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


257 


neighbourhood,  his  affections  will  extend  over  all  the 
nation  to  which  he  belongs.  Its  prosperity  and  ad¬ 
vancement  in  arts,  sciences,  and  legislation ;  its  peace 
and  tranquillity,  and  the  wisdom  and  rectitude  of  its 
rulers,  will  be  the  object  of  his  fervent  prayers  to 
the  God  of  heaven.  To  watch  over  its  interests,  to 
promote  the  improvement  of  its  constitution  and  its 
laws,  to  expose  the  intrigues  of  bribery  and  corrup¬ 
tion,  to  resist  the  efforts  of  tyranny  and  ambition, 
and  to  defeat  every  encroachment  on  its  rights  and 
liberties,  in  a  manly  and  Christian  manner,  he  will 
consider  as  a  duty  which  he  owes  to  his  fellow-sub¬ 
jects  and  to  succeeding  generations.  It  will  be  his 
chief  aim,  not  so  much  to  prevent  men  from  becom¬ 
ing  thieves,  and  robbers,  and  murderers,  as  to  make 
them  pious,  virtuous,  and  useful  members  of  the 
general  community  ;  that  every  one  may  live  “  a  quiet 
and  peaceable  life,  in  all  godliness  and  honesty.” 

Nor  will  his  benevolence  be  confined  within  the 
limits  of  a  narrow-minded  and  selfish  patriotism ; — 
his  affections  will  expand  to  surrounding  nations,  and 
embrace  the  interests  of  every  people,  and  will  excite 
him  to  co-operate  in  every  scheme  by  which  civiliza¬ 
tion  and  science,  liberty  and  Christianity,  may  be 
promoted  among  all  the  tribes  and  kindreds  of  the 
earth.  He  will  occasionally  transport  himself  in 
imagination  to  distant  climes,  and  to  the  islands  scat¬ 
tered  over  the  face  of  the  ocean, — and  the  joy  or 
sorrow  which  is  felt  in  the  hut  of  the  Greenlander, 
in  the  Indian  wigwam,  or  among  the  tents  of  the 
Tartars,  will  find  access  to  his  feeling  heart.  An 
inundation,  an  earthquake,  the  eruption  of  a  volcano, 
a  destroying  pestilence,  or  the  horrors  of  war,  hap- 


258 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


pening  in  Persia,  China,  or  Japan,  will  not  be  viewed 
with  apathy  or  indifference,  because  those  countries 
are  placed  thousands  of  miles  beyond  the  boundaries 
of  his  own ;  but  he  will  sympathize  in  the  sorrows  of 
those  distant  sufferers,  as  well  as  in  the  calamities 
which  befall  his  brethren  in  his  native  land.  Nor 
will  his  affections  be  confined  to  the  men.  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  age,  but  will  stretch  forward  to  embrace  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  future  times,  who  are  destined 
to  appear  on  the  theatre  of  this  world  in  successive 
generations.  The  plans  which  he  now  forms,  the 
groundworks  of  the  improvements  which  he  is  now 
establishing,  and  the  diversified  operations  of  bene¬ 
volence  in  which  he  is  now  engaged,  will  have  for 
their  ultimate  object,  the  diffusion  of  the  light  of 
science  and  of  religion,  and  the  communication  of 
happiness,  in  various  forms,  to  unnumbered  multi¬ 
tudes  of  the  human  race,  after  his  spirit  shall  have 
taken  its  flight  beyond  the  bounds  of  this  terrestrial 
sphere.  Nor  will  the  current  of  his  love  towards 
fellow-intelligences  be  bounded  by  the  limits  of  time 
and  the  range  of  this  sublunary  system,  but  will  run 
forward  into  those  interminable  ages  which  shall 
succeed  the  dissolution  of  our  globe,  and  will  rise 
upward  to  the  inhabitants  of  those  worlds  which  roll 
in  the  distant  regions  of  creation.  Contemplating 
the  diversified  scenes  in  which  he  may  hereafter  be 
placed,  and  the  various  orders  of  intellectual  beings 
with  which  he  may  mingle,  his  soul  will  be  trans¬ 
ported  at  the  prospect  of  entering  upon  a  more  ex¬ 
tensive  field  for  the  range  of  his  benevolent  affections, 
and  of  being  qualified  to  receive  and  to  communicate 
happiness  on  a  more  enlarged  scale,  in  company  with 


MORAL  SYSTEMS. 


259 


other  holy  intelligences, — where  the  field  of  benevo¬ 
lence  will  be  continually  expanding,  and  the  most 
exquisite  delight  springing  up  in  his  bosom,  and  ever 
increasing,  as  eternal  ages  are  rolling  on. 

Thus  it  appears  that  Benevolence  is  an  expan¬ 
sive  and  an  ever-active  principle,  diffusing  happiness 
in  its  train  wherever  it  extends.  Were  an  exten¬ 
sive  moral  machinery  to  be  set  in  action  by  this 
powerful  principle,  it  is  impossible  to  describe  what 
a  variety  of  blessings  would  soon  be  distributed 
among  mankind,  and  what  a  mighty  change  would 
be  effected  in  the  social  state  of  human  beings,  and 
on  the  whole  aspect  of  the  moral  world.  And  from 
what  has  been  already  stated,  it  is  evident,  that  al¬ 
though  intellectual  talent,  wealth,  and  influence,  have 
most  in  their  power,  as  the  prime  directors  of  the 
moral  machine, — yet  there  is  no  individual  in  whom 
this  principle  resides,  however  limited  his  faculties 
and  his  sphere  of  action,  but  has  it  in  his  power  to 
communicate  happiness  to  his  fellow-creatures,  and 
to  become  at  least  a  subordinate  agent  in  promoting 
the  plans  of  universal  benevolence. 


From  what  has  been  stated  above,  and  in  several 
of  the  preceding  parts  of  this  work,  we  may  learn, 
that,  in  order  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  our  duty, 
and  of  the  motives  which  should  stimulate  us  to  its 
performance,  there  is  no  need  to  engage  in  the  study 
of  voluminous  systems  of  Ethical  science,  or  to  per¬ 
plex  the  mind  with  laboured  disquisitions  on  the 
principles  of  Morals.  The  general  path  of  duty  is 
plain  to  every  one  who  is  inclined  to  walk  in  it ;  and 


260 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


whoever  wishes  to  be  assisted  and  directed  in  his 
progress  towards  moral  perfection,  will  find,  in  the 
Proverbs  of  Solomon,  the  sermons  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  practical  parts  of  the  apostolic  Epistles,  max¬ 
ims,  and  precepts,  and  motives  inculcated,  infinitely 
superior,  in  regard  both  to  their  authority  and  their 
excellence,  to  those  of  all  other  systems  of  moral 
philosophy,  whether  in  ancient  or  in  modern  times. 
This  seems  to  be  partly  admitted  even  by  moral 
philosophers  themselves.  The  celebrated  Dr.  Reid, 
in  his  “  Essays  on  the  Active  Powers  of  Man,”  after 
a  variety  of  learned  and  abstract  discussions  on  active 
power,  and  the  principles  of  human  action,  when 
treating  on  the  theory  of  morals,  says,  “  This  is  an 
intricate  subject,  and  there  have  been  various  theo¬ 
ries  and  much  controversy  about  it  in  ancient  and  in 
modern  times.  But  it  has  little  connection  with  the 
knowledge  of  our  duty;  and  those  who  differ  most  in 
the  theory  of  our  moral  powers,  agree  in  the  practi¬ 
cal  rules  of  morals  which  they  dictate.  As  a  man 
may  be  a  good  judge  of  colours,  and  of  the  other 
visible  qualities  of  objects,  without  any  knowledge  of 
the  anatomy  of  the  eye  and  of  the  theory  of  vision; 
so  a  man  may  have  a  very  clear  and  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  what  is  right  and  of  what  is  wrong  in 
human  conduct,  who  never  studied  the  structure  of 
our  moral  powers.  A  good  ear  in  music  may  be 
much  improved  by  attention  and  practice  in  that  art; 
but  very  little  by  studying  the  anatomy  of  the  ear 
and  the  theory  of  sound.  In  order  to  acquire  a  good 
eye  or  a  good  ear,  in  the  arts  that  require  them,  the 
theory  of  vision  and  the  theory  of  sound  are  by  no 
means  necessary,  and  indeed  of  very  little  use.  Of 


MORAL  SYSTEMS. 


261 


as  little  necessity  or  use  is  what  we  call  the  theory 
of  morals ,  in  order  to  improve  our  moral  judgment."* 
To  a  man  who  is  familiar  with  the  Scriptures,  and 
whose  mind  has  acquired  a  relish  for  the  simplicity 
and  excellence  of  the  Christian  code  of  morals,  how 
cold,  and  frigid,  and  uninteresting  do  the  laboured 
disquisitions  of  our  most  celebrated  ethical  writers 
appear  !  There  is  little  to  be  found  in  such  writings 
to  kindle  the  fire  of  holy  love,  and  to  inspire  the  soul 
with  a  noble  ardour  in  carrying  forward  the  plan  of 
divine  benevolence.  What  powerful  stimulus  to 
exalted  virtue  can  be  expected  from  abstract  discus¬ 
sions  on  active  power,  on  liberty  and  necessity,  on 
theories  of  moral  action,  on  the  reason  and  fitness  of 
things,  on  self-love,  on  public  and  private  interests, 
on  the  law  of  honour,  and  the  like  ;  and  of  how 
little  practical  utility  are  the  results  of  such  disquisi¬ 
tions  ;  since  every  principle  of  action,  every  motive, 
and  every  duty  conducive  to  the  happiness  of  the  in¬ 
telligent  system,  is  laid  down  in  the  Scriptures,  with 
a  plainness  and  perspicuity  which  render  them  level 
to  the  meanest  understanding  ?  And  what  shall  we 
say  of  those  moralists  who  teach  us,  that  t£  modesty, 
humility,  and  forgiveness  of  injuries,”  belong  to  the 
class  of  vices  ;f  and,  by  consequence,  that  pride, 
impudence,  and  revenge,  are  to  be  ranked  among  the 
virtues  ?  Such  virtue,  alas  !  has  too  long  prevailed 
in  our  degenerate  world ;  but  were  it  universally  to 
prevail,  it  would  transform  creation  into  a  chaos,  and 
banish  happiness  from  the  universe.  What  benefi- 


*  Reid  “  On  the  Active  Powers.”  Essay  v.  chap.  ii. 
f  This  sentiment  is  taught  by  Mr.  Hume  and  his  followers. 


262 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


cial  practical  effects  have  ever  yet  been  produced  by 
all  the  systems  of  ethics  which  have  hitherto  been 
published  to  the  world  ?  Let  us  look  back  on  the 
nations  of  antiquity,  on  the  schools  of  Plato,  So¬ 
crates,  Epicurus,  and  Zeno ;  let  us  survey  the  con¬ 
duct  of  our  modern  sceptical  philosophers,  and  the 
practices  of  our  youths  who  attend  courses  of  ethical 
lectures  in  our  universities  and  academies,  and  say, 
whether  the  general  depravity  of  human  nature  has 
been  counteracted,  and  a  spirit  of  universal  benevo¬ 
lence  has  been  cherished  and  promoted  by  such  in¬ 
structions.  I  venture  to  affirm,  that  we  are  far  more 
indebted  to  our  Saviour’s  sermon  on  the  mount,  and 
to  the  practical  writings  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  for  that 
portion  of  morality  which  has  given  a  polish  to  the 
manners  of  modern  society,  than  to  all  the  systems 
of  ethics,  detached  from  Christianity,  that  have  ever 
been  published  by  the  philosophers  either  of  Greece 
or  Rome,  or  of  the  British  empire :  and  that  it  is 
only  by  following  out  the  instructions  of  these  divine 
teachers,  that  we  can  expect  to  see  the  world  regen¬ 
erated,  and  vice  and  iniquity  banished  from  our 
streets. 

In  throwing  out  the  preceding  hints,  I  have  con¬ 
fined  my  attention  chiefly  to  the  intelligent  creation. 
But  it  is  evident,  that  where  a  principle  of  genuine 
love  actuates  the  mind,  it  will  extend  its  benevolent 
regards  even  to  the  lower  orders  of  animated  exist- 

o 

ence.  Towards  them  the  Creator  has  displayed  his 
benevolence,  as  well  as  towards  man.  He  has 
framed  their  bodies  in  as  curious  and  admirable  a 
manner  as  the  bodies  of  mankind.  He  has  be¬ 
stowed  upon  them  organs  of  sensation  exactly  adapted 


BENEVOLENCE  TOWARDS  ANIMALS.  26S 


to  the  situations  they  occupy,  and  to  their  various 
modes  of  subsistence.  He  has  formed  them  with 
instincts  which  enable  them  to  construct  their  habi¬ 
tations,  to  select  their  food,  to  protect  themselves 
from  danger,  and  to  choose  the  fittest  places  for 
bringing  forth  their  young.  He  has  provided,  in 
the  different  departments  of  nature,  all  that  variety 
of  food  which  is  requisite  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
whole  of  that  immense  assemblage  of  living  beings 
which  traverse  the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth. 
“  These  all  wait  upon  Him,  and  he  giveth  them 
their  meat  in  due  season.”  Their  sportive  motions, 
their  varied  movements,  and  the  delight  with  which 
they  seem  to  exercise  their  faculties,  testify  that 
they  are  the  objects  of  the  beneficence  of  their  Al¬ 
mighty,  though  unknown  Maker.  So  that  God 
not  only  takes  care  of  men,  but  of  the  fishes  of  the 
sea,  the  creeping  insects,  and  the  fowls  of  heaven, 
for  “a  sparrow  cannot  fall  to  the  ground”  without 
his  providential  permission. 

This  benevolent  care  of  the  Creator,  which  ex¬ 
tends  to  the  lowest  order  of  his  creatures,  instructs 
us,  that  our  benevolence  also  should  be  displayed  to¬ 
wards  the  inferior  ranks  of  sensitive  existence — that 
we  should  not  only  abstain  from  torturing,  and  un¬ 
necessarily  depriving  them  of  existence,  but  should 
endeavour  to  promote  their  enjoyment.  It  was  the 
object  of  several  of  the  laws  delivered  to  the  Jews, 
to  inculcate  compassion  and  humanity  towards  their 
domestic  animals :  and  Solomon  lays  it  down  as  a 
moral  maxim,  that  <£  the  righteous  man  regardeth  the 
life  of  his  beast.”  Benevolence  will  display  itself 
in  the  shape  of  tenderness  and  humanity  towards 


264 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


every  creature  that  is  endowed  with  feeling  and 
sensation ;  but  it  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  a  power¬ 
ful  influence  over  that  man  who  can  wantonly 
torture  a  poor  fly,  lash  a  feeble  old  horse,  wound  a 
bird  or  a  hare  for  mere  sport,  twirl  a  cockchaffer  on 
a  crooked  pin,  or  even  intentionally  trample  under 
foot  a  snail  or  a  worm,  that  is  doing  him  no  injury. 
The  benevolent  man  rejoices  in  the  happiness  of  all 
creation  around  him ;  and,  were  this  disposition  uni¬ 
versally  prevalent,  not  only  should  we  see  cock-fight¬ 
ing,  dog-fighting,  bull-baiting,  and  other  cruel  and 
degrading  sports,  for  ever  abolished,  but  should  form 
a  more  delightful  intercourse  with  many  of  the  lower 
animals  than  we  have  ever  yet  enjoyed. 

The  Arabians  never  beat  their  horses ;  they  never 
cut  their  tails;  they  treat  them  gently;  they  speak 
to  them,  and  seem  to  hold  a  discourse ;  they  use  them 
as  friends ;  they  never  attempt  to  increase  their  speed 
by  the  whip,  nor  spur  them,  but  in  cases  of  great 
necessity.  They  never  fix  them  to  a  stake  in  the 
fields,  but  suffer  them  to  pasture  at  large  around  their 
habitations ;  and  they  come  running  the  moment  they 
hear  the  sound  of  their  master’s  voice.  In  conse¬ 
quence  of  such  treatment,  these  animals  become  do¬ 
cile  and  tractable  in  the  highest  degree.  They 
resort  at  night  to  their  tents,  and  lie  down  in  the  midst 
of  the  children,  without  ever  hurting  them  in  the 
slightest  degree.  The  little  boys  and  girls  are  often 
seen  upon  the  body  or  the  neck  of  the  mare,  while 
the  beasts  continue  inoffensive  and  harmless,  permit¬ 
ting  them  to  play  with  and  caress  them  without  in¬ 
jury. — Several  species  of  birds  have  a  natural  attach¬ 
ment  to  the  habitations  of  man;  but  his  malevolence 


BENEVOLENCE  TOWARDS  ANIMALS. 


265 


prevents  them  from  entering  into  any  intimate  and 
friendly  association :  for  they  seem  to  be  fully  aware 
of  his  guns,  and  snares,  and  other  arts  of  destruc¬ 
tion,  which  make  them  shy,  even  in  cases  of  ne¬ 
cessity,  of  trusting  themselves  to  his  generosity  and 
protection.  How  many  amusing  and  instructive  as¬ 
sociations  might  be  formed  with  this  class  of  animals, 
if  the  kindness  and  benevolence  of  man  were  to  se¬ 
cure  their  confidence  !  Even  the  beasts  of  the  forest, 
the  elephant,  the  lion,  and  the  tiger,*  have  had  their 
ferocious  dispositions  softened  by  kindness  and  atten¬ 
tion,  and  have  become  the  protectors  and  the  friends 
of  man. 

Although  the  lower  animals  seem  to  be  incapable 
of  making  improvement  when  left  to  themselves,  yet 
experience  has  proved,  that,  under  the  tuition  of  man, 
they  are  capable  of  making  considerable  advancement 
in  knowledge,  and  in  the  exercise  of  the  benevolent 
affections.  Kindness  and  affection  will  frequently 
soften  the  most  savage  and  obdurate  dispositions 
among  mankind ;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  a 
judicious  and  universal  display  of  friendly  attentions 
towards  those  animals  which  occasionally  associate 
with  man,  would  go  far  to  counteract  their  malevo¬ 
lent  propensities,  and  to  promote  their  harmony  and 
affection.  I  never  was  more  delighted  with  an  ex¬ 
hibition  of  animals  than  on  a  late  occasion,  when  I 
beheld  a  cat ,  a  bird ,  and  a  mouse ,  living  in  the  same 
cage,  in  the  most  cordial  harmony  and  peace — a  fact 


*  An  experiment  was  lately  exhibited  by  the  keeper  of  the 
animals  in  the  Tower  of  London,  which  demonstrates  that  even 
the  tiger  is  capable  of  being  tamed,  and  rendered  susceptible  of 
friendly  feelings  towards  man. 

D.  2. 


M 


266 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


which  demonstrates  that  the  strongest  antipathies  of 
the  animal  tribes  may  be  overcome  by  the  care  and 
attention  of  man.*  And  as  such  an  experiment 
could  not  have  been  attempted  with  success,  except 
when  these  animals  were  very  young,  it  slrows  us 
the  immense  importance  of  an  early  attention  to 
the  training  of  our  youth  in  habits  of  kindness  and 
affection  towards  each  other,  and  of  humanity  towards 
every  sensitive  being ;  and  that  it  ought  to  be  the 
great  care  of  parents,  nurses,  and  servants,  to  coun¬ 
teract  the  first  appearance  of  malevolent  dispositions 
in  very  early  life,  however  trivial  the  circumstances 
in  which  such  dispositions  are  manifested. 

The  famous  Baron  Trenck,  when  confined  in  his 
dungeon  in  Magdeburg,  had  so  tamed  a  mouse,  that 
it  would  play  round  him,  and  eat  from  his  mouth. 
When  he  whistled,  it  would  come  and  jump  upon 
his  shoulder.  After  his  cruel  keepers  had  given 
orders  that  he  should  be  deprived  of  its  society,  and 
had  actually  taken  it  away  blindfolded,  it  found  its 
way  back  again  to  the  door  of  his  dungeon,  waited 
the  hour  of  visitation,  when  the  door  would  be  opened, 
and  immediately  testified  its  joy  by  its  antic  leaping 
between  his  legs.  This  mouse  was  afterwards  car¬ 
ried  off,  and  put  into  a  cage,  where  it  pined,  refused 
all  sustenance,  and  in  a  few  days  was  found  dead. 
“  In  this  small  animal,”  says  the  Baron,  “  I  disco¬ 
vered  proofs  of  intelligence  too  great  to  easily  gain 
belief.  Were  I  to  write  them,  such  philosophers 
as  suppose  man  alone  endowed  with  the  power  of 

*  The  reader  will  find  a  description  of  a  very  interesting  asso¬ 
ciation  of  this  kind,  in  Vol.  I.  of  the  “  Library  of  Entertaining 
Knowledge.” 


BENEVOLENCE  TOWARDS  ANIMALS. 


267 


thought,  allowing  nothing  but  what  they  call  instinct 
in  animals,  would  proclaim  me  a  fabulous  writer,  and 
my  opinions  heterodox  to  what  they  suppose  sound 
philosophy.” — A  nobleman  of  France,  a  count  of 
Lauzun,  was  condemned  to  a  rigid  imprisonment. 
Cut  off  from  all  human  society,  and  allowed  no  means 
of  diverting  his  solitude,  he  made  a  companion  of  a 
spider ,  who  had  spun  her  web  in  the  corner  of  his 
cell.  He  at  length  familiarized  her  so  far,  that  she 
would  come  upon  his  hand,  and  eat  from  it  a  portion 
of  his  food  which  he  gave  her.  The  jailor,  totally 
devoid  of  feeling,  thought  this  too  great  an  indul¬ 
gence  for  the  unfortunate  prisoner,  and  crushed  the 
spider  to  death. 

Many  such  instances  could  be  brought  forward 
to  illustrate  the  affection  of  the  inferior  tribes,  and 
their  capability  of  improvement.  But  although  they 
were  entirely  destitute  of  mental  qualities  and  affec¬ 
tions,  as  they  are  sensitive  beings,  susceptible  of 
pleasure  and  pain,  the  truly  benevolent  man  will 
never  intentionally  inflict  upon  them  unnecessary 
pain,  and  far  less  will  he  ever  enjoy  a  savage  delight, 
like  some  monsters  in  human  shape,  in  beholding 
them  writhing  under  the  agonies  occasioned  by  bar¬ 
barous  treatment.  He  will  feel  a  joy  in  their  com¬ 
fort,  and  will  endeavour  to  counteract  their  malig¬ 
nant  propensities,  and  to  train  them  up  in  those 
habits  by  which  they  may  be  rendered  useful  to  man, 
and  pleasing  to  each  other.  Were  such  a  kind  and 
humane  disposition  towards  the  lower  animals  gene¬ 
rally  to  prevail,  we  might  ultimately  expect  the  literal 
accomplishment  of  those  predictions  recorded  in  an¬ 
cient  prophecy : — “  In  that  day  will  I  make  a  cove- 

M  2 


268 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nant  for  them  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  with 
the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  with  the  creeping  things  of 
the  ground ;  and  I  will  break  the  bow  and  the  sword, 
and  the  battle  out  of  the  earth,  and  will  make  them 
to  lie  down  safely.”  “  I  will  cause  the  evil  beasts 
to  cease  out  of  the  land,  and  they  shall  dwell  safely 
in  the  wilderness,  and  sleep  in  the  woods.”  “  The 
wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb;  the  cow  and  the  bear 
shall  feed  in  one  pasture,  and  their  young  ones  shall 
lie  down  together;  the  sucking  child  shall  play  on 
the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put 
his  hand  on  the  adder’s  den.  They  shall  not  hurt 
nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain,  saith  the  Lord.” 

The  remarks  which  have  been  stated  in  this  sec¬ 
tion,  in  reference  to  the  practical  influence  of  the 
principle  of  benevolence,  are  intended  merely  as  a 
few  insulated  hints  in  regard  to  some  of  the  modes 
in  which  it  may  be  made  to  operate.  To  illustrate 
its  operations  in  detail ,  and  to  trace  its  progress  in 
all  its  diversified  bearings  and  ramifications,  would 
be  to  write  a  Body  of  Practical  Morality,  which 
would  fill  several  volumes — a  work  which  is  still  a 
desideratum  in  Christian  literature.  I  cannot  con¬ 
clude  this  chapter  more  appropriately  than  with  the 
following  excellent  passage,  extracted  from  Dr. 
Dwight’s  System  of  Theology. 

“  The  divine  law  is  wholly  included  in  two  pre¬ 
cepts  :  Thou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart;  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  These 
are  so  short ,  as  to  be  necessarily  included  in  a  very 
short  sentence;  so  intelligible,  as  to  be  understood 
by  every  moral  being  who  is  capable  of  comprehend¬ 
ing  the  meaning  of  the  words  God  and  neighbour  ; 


CONCLUDING  EXTRACT. 


269 


so  easily  remembered ,  as  to  render  it  impossible  for 
them  to  escape  from  our  memory,  unless  by  wanton, 
criminal  negligence  of  ours ;  and  so  easily  applicable 
to  every  case  of  moral  action ,  as  not  to  be  mistaken 
unless  through  indisposition  to  obey.  At  the  same 
time,  obedience  to  them  is  rendered  perfectly  obvious 
and  perfectly  easy  to  every  mind  which  is  not  indis¬ 
posed  to  obey  them.  The  very  disposition  itself, 
if  sincere  and  entire,  is  either  entire  obedience,  or 
the  unfailing  means  of  that  external  conduct  by  which 
the  obedience  is  in  some  cases  completed.  The  dis¬ 
position  to  obey  is  also  confined  to  a  single  affection 
of  the  heart ,  easily  distinguishable  from  all  other 
affections;  namely,  love.  Love ,  saith  St.  Paul,  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law.  The  humblest  and  most  igno¬ 
rant  moral  creatures,  therefore,  are  in  this  manner 
efficaciously  preserved  from  mistaking  their  duty. 

“  In  the  meantime,  these  two  precepts ,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  brevity,  are  so  comprehensive  as  to 
include  every  possible  moral  action.  The  archangel 
is  not  raised  above  their  control,  nor  can  any  action 
of  his  exceed  that  bound  which  they  prescribe.  The 
child  who  has  passed  the  verge  of  moral  agency,  is 
not  placed  beneath  their  regulation ;  and  whatever 
virtue  he  may  exercise,  is  no  other  than  a  fulfilling 
of  their  requisitions.  All  the  duties  which  we  im¬ 
mediately  owe  to  God,  to  our  fellow-creatures,  and 
to  ourselves,  are,  by  these  precepts,  alike  compre¬ 
hended  and  required.  In  a  word,  endlessly  varied 
as  moral  action  may  be,  it  exists  in  no  form  or  in¬ 
stance  in  which  he  who  perfectly  obeys  these  pre¬ 
cepts  will  not  have  done  his  duty,  and  will  not  find 
himself  justified  and  accepted  by  God.” 


270 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON  THE  MORAL  LAW,  AND  THE  RATIONAL 
GROUNDS  ON  WHICH  ITS  PRECEPTS  ARE 
FORMED. 


In  the  preceding  chapters,  I  have  endeavoured  to 
illustrate  the  foundation  of  love  to  God,  from  a 
consideration  of  his  attributes,  and  the  relations  in 
which  he  stands  to  his  creatures.  I  have  also  illus¬ 
trated  the  rational  grounds  of  love  to  our  neighbour, 
from  a  consideration  of  the  natural  equality  of  man¬ 
kind,  of  the  various  relations  in  which  they  stand  to 
one  another,  and  of  their  eternal  destination.  The 
dismal  consequences  which  would  result  from  a  total 
subversion  of  these  laws,  the  beneficial  effects  which 
would  flow  from  their  universal  operation,  their  appli¬ 
cation  to  the  inhabitants  of  other  worlds,  the  declara¬ 
tions  of  Scripture  on  this  subject,  and  the  various 
modes  in  which  benevolence  should  display  its  activi¬ 
ties,  have  also  been  the  subject  of  consideration. 

The  two  principles  now  illustrated,  may  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  two  branches  proceeding  from  the  same 
trunk,  and  spreading  into  different  ramifications.  The 
first  four  commandments  of  the  moral  law  may  be 
viewed  as  flowing  from  the  principle  of  love  to  God, 
and  the  remaining  six  as  ramifications  of  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  benevolence,  or  love  to  man.  In  the  follow¬ 
ing  brief  illustrations,  I  shall  endeavour  to  show  the 
reasonableness  of  these  moral  laws  in  relation  to  man, 


MORAL  LAW. 


271 


from  a  consideration  of  the  misery  which  would  ne¬ 
cessarily  result  from  their  universal  violation,  and  of 
the  happiness  which  would  flow  from  universal  obe¬ 
dience  to  their  requisitions. 

These  laws  were  published  in  the  most  solemn 
manner  to  the  tribes  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  of 
Horeb.  While  Mount  Sinai  was  shaking  to  its 
centre,  and  smoking  like  a  furnace;  while  flames  of 
fire  were  ascending  from  its  summit,  and  thick  dark¬ 
ness  surrounding  its  base  ;  while  thunders  were  roll¬ 
ing  in  the  clouds  above,  and  lightnings  flashing 
amidst  the  surrounding  gloom  ;  and  while  the  earth 
was  quaking  all  around,  and  the  voice  of  a  trumpet 
waxing  louder  and  louder, — in  the  midst  of  this 
solemn  and  terrific  scene,  God  spake  the  command¬ 
ments  with  an  articulate  voice,  in  the  hearing  of  the 
trembling  multitude  assembled  around  the  mountain. 
A  combination  of  objects  more  awful  and  impressive 
the  human  mind  can  scarcely  conceive ;  compared 
with  which,  the  pretended  pomp  of  Pagan  deities, 
and  Jupiter  shaking  Olympus  with  his  imperial  rod, 
are  ridiculous  and  profane ;  and  never,  perhaps, 
since  the  commencement  of  time,  was  such  a  strik¬ 
ing  scene  presented  to  the  view  of  any  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  this  world.  The  most  solemn  prepara¬ 
tions  were  made  for  this  divine  manifestation :  the 
people  of  Israel  were  commanded  to  purify  them¬ 
selves  from  every  mental  and  corporeal  pollution,  and 
strictly  enjoined  to  keep  within  the  boundaries  marked 
out  for  them,  and  not  to  rush  within  the  limits  as¬ 
signed  to  these  awful  symbols  of  the  Deity.  An 
assemblage  of  celestial  beings,  from  another  region 
of  creation,  was  present  on  this  occasion,  to  perform 


272 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


important  services,  to  swell  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene,  and  to  be  witnesses  of  the  impressive  trans¬ 
actions  of  that  solemn  day.*  Moses  was  appointed 
as  a  temporary  mediator  between  God  and  the  people, 
to  explain  to  them  in  milder  terms  the  words  of  the 
law,  and  the  further  intimations  of  the  Divine  will. 
Yet  so  terrible  were  the  symbols  of  the  present 
Deity,  that  even  Moses  was  appalled,  and  said,  “  I 
exceedingly  fear  and  quake.” 

In  order  that  the  impressive  words  which  were 
uttered  on  that  day  might  not  be  forgotten  in  future 
generations,  they  were  written  on  tables  of  stone 
with  the  finger  of  God.  They  were  not  simply 
drawn  on  a  plain,  like  the  strokes  of  writing  upon 
paper,  but  the  characters  were  engraved ,  or  cut  out 
of  the  solid  stone,  so  that  they  could  not  be  erased. 
They  were  not  written  on  paper  or  parchment,  or 
even  on  wood,  but  on  stone ,  which  is  a  much  more 
durable  material.  “  The  tables  were  written  upon 
both  their  sides,  on  the  one  side,  and  on  the  other 
were  they  written ;  and  the  tables  were  the  work  of 
God,  and  the  writing  was  the  writing  of  God,  graven 
upon  the  tables.”f  This  was  intended  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  any  thing  being  added  to  the  law, 
or  taken  from  it.  The  tables  were  two  in  number, 
the  one  containing  the  precepts  which  inculcate  love 

•  Stephen  says,  that  the  Jews  “  received  the  law  by  the  dis¬ 
position  of  angels.”  Grotius  observes,  on  this  passage,  that  the 
Greek  preposition  t<’*,  here  signifies  amidst,  and  that  liumyai 
ayytXuv,  denotes  troops  of  angels  ranged  in  military  order;  and 
that  there  is  a  reference  to  Deut.  xxxiii.  2.  “  The  Lord  came 
from  Sinai,  and  rose  up  from  Seir  unto  them;  he  shined  forth 
from  Mount  Paran,  and  he  came  with  ten  thousands  of  his  holy 
ones :  from  his  right  hand  went  a  fiery  law  for  them.” 

f  Exod.  xxxii.  15,  16. 


MORAL  LAW. 


273 


to  God,  the  other  containing  those  which  enjoin  the 
love  of  our  neighbour.  These  laws,  thus  engraven 
on  the  most  durable  materials,  were  deposited  in  the 
most  sacred  part  of  the  tabernacle,  in  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  under  the  mercy-seat.  All  the  striking 
circumstances  now  mentioned,  were  evidently  in¬ 
tended  to  proclaim  the  Majesty  and  Grandeur  of 
the  Supreme  Legislator — the  excellency  mid  per¬ 
fection  of  his  law, — that  it  is  the  eternal  and  unal¬ 
terable  rule  of  rectitude — that  it  is  of  perpetual  ob¬ 
ligation  on  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth — that  it 
is  the  rule  of  action  to  angels  and  archangels,  and  to 
all  other  moral  intelligences,  as  well  as  to  the  human 
race — and  that  the  most  dreadful  consequences  must 
ensue  on  all  those  who  persist  in  violating  its  pre¬ 
cepts. 

The  proclamation  of  this  law  was  prefaced  by 
these  words,  “  I  am  Jehovah  thy  God,”  which  con¬ 
tain  a  ground  and  reason  for  our  obedience.  They 
evidently  imply,  that  he  is  the  Self-existent  and 
Eternal  Being  who  brought  the  universe  into  exist¬ 
ence,  who  “garnished  the  heavens,  and  laid  the  foun¬ 
dations  of  the  earth,”  and  peopled  all  worlds  with 
their  inhabitants — that  he  has  sovereign  authority 
to  prescribe  a  rule  of  action  to  his  creatures — that 
he  knows  best  what  laws  are  requisite  to  preserve  the 
order  of  his  vast  empire,  and  to  secure  the  happiness 
of  the  intelligent  creation — that  he  is  the  former  of 
our  bodies,  the  Father  of  our  spirits,  and  the  direc¬ 
tor  of  all  the  movements  of  nature  and  providence, 
from  whose  unceasing  agency  every  enjoyment  pro¬ 
ceeds — and  that  all  his  regulations  and  arrangements 
are  calculated  to  promote  the  present  and  everlasting 

M  3 


274 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


felicity  of  all  rational  agents  that  submit  to  his  au¬ 
thority. 

That  these  laws  are  not  mere  acts  of  Divine  So¬ 
vereignty,  but  founded  upon  the  nature  of  things, 
and  are  calculated  to  preserve  the  harmony  and  order 
of  the  intelligent  universe,  will  appear  from  the  fol¬ 
lowing  illustrations  and  remarks. 

O 


THE  FIRST  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me.” 

All  the  commandments,  except  the  fourth  and 
fifth,  are  expressed  in  a  negative  form  :  but  it  is 
obvious,  that  every  negative  command  includes  a 
requisition  of  the  duty  which  is  opposed  to  the  sin 
forbidden  ;  and  those  which  are  positive ,  include  a 
prohibition  of  the  conduct  which  is  opposed  to  the 
duty  required.  This  first  commandment,  therefore, 
though  expressed  in  the  negative  form,  must  be 
considered  as  including  a  positive  injunction  to  love 
God  with  all  our  hearts,  to  offer  a  tribute  of  su¬ 
preme  adoration  to  his  perfections,  and  to  exercise 
the  graces  of  hope,  gratitude,  submission,  and  re¬ 
verence.  Having  already  considered  the  precept  in 
this  point  of  view,  (pp.  110 — 123.)  it  is  only  neces¬ 
sary,  in  this  place,  to  attend  for  a  little  to  the  negative 
form  of  the  command.  The  prohibition  contained 
in  this  precept  must  be  considered  as  extending,  not 
only  to  Polytheism,  and  the  various  objects  of  wor¬ 
ship  which  have  prevailed  in  the  heathen  world,  but 
to  every  thing  which  is  the  object  of  our  supreme 
affection  and  regard. 


IDOLATRY. 


*275 


It  is  a  dictate  of  enlightened  reason,  that  the  Be¬ 
ing  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  existence,  on  whom 
we  every  moment  depend,  who  directs  the  movements 
of  the  system  of  nature,  who  daily  loads  us  with  his 
benefits,  and  on  whom  our  hopes  of  eternal  felicity 
entirely  depend — should  be  contemplated  with  the 
most  ardent  affection  and  gratitude,  and  recognised 
as  the  Supreme  Legislator,  whose  laws  we  are  bound, 
by  every  tie  of  gratitude,  to  obey.  Wherever  such 
sentiments  and  affections  pervade  the  mind,  they 
constitute  the  first  principles  of  piety,  the  source  of 
all  holy  obedience,  and  the  foundation  of  all  true 
happiness.  Were  they  universally  felt  and  acted 
upon  by  human  beings,  the  Most  High  God  would 
be  adored  in  every  land,  his  image  would  be  impressed 
on  every  heart,  his  righteous  laws  would  never  be 
violated,  grovelling  desires  and  affections  would  be 
eradicated,  and  our  world  would  be  transformed  into 
an  abode  of  felicity. 

On  the  other  hand,  where  the  unity  and  the  at¬ 
tributes  of  the  Divine  Being  are  not  recognised,  and 
where  other  objects  are  substituted  in  his  place,  the 
foundations  of  religion  and  of  moral  order  are  com¬ 
pletely  subverted,  and  a  door  opened  for  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  every  absurdity,  immorality,  and  vile  abo¬ 
mination,  that  can  degrade  a  rational  intelligence. 
The  command  under  consideration  is  placed  on  the 
front  of  the  divine  law,  as  the  foundation  of  all  the 
other  precepts;  and  therefore,  wherever  it  is  violated, 
or  not  recognised,  a  regular  obedience  to  the  other 
subordinate  injunctions  of  religion,  is  not,  in  the  na¬ 
ture  of  things,  to  be  expected.  Were  its  violation, 
in  our  world,  complete  and  universal,  it  is  impossible 


276 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  say  what  would  be  the  miserable  condition  of  hu¬ 
man  beings  in  their  social  capacity.  To  its  general 
violation  may  be  traced  all  the  evils  under  which  hu¬ 
manity  has  groaned  in  every  age,  and  all  the  depraved 
passions  and  shocking  immoralities,  which  now  dis¬ 
figure  the  aspect  of  the  moral  world. 

There  is  nothing  that  appears  more  prominent  in 
the  history  and  the  character  of  almost  every  nation 
under  heaven,  than  an  infringement  of  this  first  and 
fundamental  law  of  the  Creator.  An  enlightened 
mind,  on  a  first  consideration  of  this  subject,  would 
be  apt  to  surmise  that  such  a  law  is  almost  super¬ 
fluous  and  unnecessary.  There  is  such  an  immense 
disproportion  between  a  block  of  marble,  or  a  crawl¬ 
ing  reptile,  and  that  Being  who  supports  the  system 
of  universal  nature,  that  it  appears,  at  first  view,  next 
to  impossible,  that  a  reasonable  being  should  ever 
become  so  stupid  and  degraded  as  to  substitute  the 
one  for  the  other,  and  to  offer  his  adorations  to  an 
object  completely  devoid  of  power  and  intelligence. 
Yet  experience  teaches  us,  that  there  is  no  disposi¬ 
tion  to  which  the  human  mind  is  more  prone,  than 
“  to  depart  from  the  living  God,”  and  to  multiply 
objects  of  idolatrous  worship.  This  will  appear,  if 
we  take  but  the  slightest  glance  of  the  objects  of 
adoration  which  have  prevailed,  and  which  still  pre¬ 
vail  in  the  pagan  world. 

At  one  period  of  the  world,  with  the  single  ex¬ 
ception  of  the  small  nation  of  the  Jews,  idolatry  over¬ 
spread  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.  And  how  nu¬ 
merous  and  degrading  were  the  objects  which  the 
blinded  nations  adored  !  We  are  informed  by  He¬ 
siod,  Varro,  and  other  ancient  authors,  that  no  less 


IDOLATRY. 


277 


than  thirty  thousand  subordinate  divinities  were  com¬ 
prised  within  that  system  of  idolatry  which  prevailed 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  They  had  both 
celestial  and  terrestrial  deities.  They  assigned  pe¬ 
culiar  gods  to  the  fountains,  the  rivers,  the  hills,  the 
mountains,  the  lawns,  the  groves,  the  sea,  and  even 
to  hell  itself.  To  cities,  fields,  houses,  edifices, 
families,  gates,  nuptial  chambers,  marriages,  births, 
deaths,  sepulchres,  trees,  and  gardens,  they  also  ap¬ 
propriated  distinct  and  peculiar  deities.  Their  prin¬ 
cipal  celestial  deities  were  Jupiter,  Mars,  Mercury, 
Apollo,  Bacchus,  Venus,  Juno,  and  Minerva — their 
terrestrial ,  Saturn,  Ceres,  Diana,  Neptune,  Cybele, 
Proserpine,  and  Pluto.  Their  chief  idol  was  Jupiter, 
whom  they  called  the  Father  of  gods  and  men ;  and 
under  his  authority,  Neptune  had  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  sea,  Juno,  of  the  air,  Cybele,  of  the  earth, 
and  Pluto,  of  the  realms  below.  Instead  of  wor¬ 
shipping  the  living  and  immortal  God,  they  deified 
a  host  of  dead  men,  called  heroes,  distinguished  for 
nothing  so  much  as  for  murder,  adultery,  sodomy, 
rapine,  cruelty,  drunkenness,  and  all  kinds  of  de¬ 
bauchery.  To  such  contemptible  divinities  splendid 
temples  were  erected,*  adorations  addressed,  costly 
offerings  presented,  and  rites  and  ceremonies  per¬ 
formed,  subversive  of  every  principle  of  decency  and 
morality,  and  degrading  to  the  reason  and  the  charac- 


*  The  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  has  been  always  admired 
as  one  of  the  noblest  pieces  of  architecture  that  the  world  ever 
produced.  It  was  425  feet  long,  200  feet  broad,  and  supported 
by  127  columns  of  marble  60  feet  high ;  27  of  which  were  beau¬ 
tifully  carved.  Diodorus  Siculus  mentions,  that  the  rich  presents 
made  to  the  temple  of  Apollo  at  Delphos,  amounted  to  one  mil¬ 
lion  three  hundred  and  thirty-three  thousand  pounds. 


278 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ter  of  man. — A  system  of  idolatry  of  a  similar  kind, 
though  under  a  different  form,  prevailed  among  the 
Egyptians.  The  meanest  and  the  most  contemptible 
objects — sheep,  cats,  bulls,  dogs,  cows,  storks,  apes, 
vultures  and  other  birds  of  prey,  wolves,  and  several 
sorts  of  oxen,  were  exalted  as  objects  of  adoration. 
££  If  you  go  into  Egypt,”  says  Lucian,  ££  you  will  see 
Jupiter  with  the  face  of  a  ram ,  Mercury  as  a  fine  dog, 
Pan  is  become  a  goat ;  another  god  is  Ibis,  another 
the  crocodile,  and  another  the  ape.  There,  many 
shaven  priests  gravely  tell  us,  that  the  gods,  being 
afraid  of  the  rebellion  of  the  giants,  assumed  these 
shapes.”  Each  city  and  district  in  Egypt  enter¬ 
tained  a  peculiar  devotion  for  some  animal  or  other, 
as  the  object  of  its  adoration.  The  city  Lentopolis 
worshipped  a  lion;  the  city  Mendez  a  goat;  Mem¬ 
phis,  the  apis;  and  the  people  at  the  lake  Myris 
adored  the  crocodile.  These  animals  were  main¬ 
tained,  in  or  near  their  temples,  with  delicate  meats; 
were  bathed,  anointed,  perfumed,  had  beds  prepared 
for  them;  and  when  any  of  them  happened  to  die, 
sumptuous  funerals  were  prepared  in  honour  of  the 
god.  Of  all  these  animals,  the  bull,  apis,  was  held 
in  the  greatest  veneration.  Honours  of  an  extraor¬ 
dinary  kind  were  conferred  on  him  while  he  lived, 
and  his  death  gave  rise  to  a  general  mourning. 

Such  was  the  abominable  idolatry  that  prevailed 
even  among  the  most  enlightened  nations  of  antiquity. 
They  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into 
££  the  similitude  of  an  ox  that  eateth  grass,”  and  into 
images  made  like  to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds, 
and  to  four-footed  beasts,  and  creeping  things.  And 
if  the  Egyptians,  the  Greeks,  and  the  Romans,  who 


IDOLATRY. 


279 


were  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the  world  for  their 
improvements  in  literature,  science,  and  the  arts,  had 
so  far  renounced  their  allegiance  to  the  true  God, 
we  may  rest  assured  that  the  surrounding  nations 
were  sunk  still  farther  into  the  pollutions  of  idolatry 
and  of  mental  debasement.  The  Phenicians,  the 
Syrians,  the  Canaanites,  the  Chaldeans  and  Babylo¬ 
nians,  the  Arabians,  the  Scythians,  the  Ethiopians, 
and  the  Carthaginians,  the  ancient  Gauls,  Germans, 
and  Britons,  were,  if  possible,  more  deeply  debased; 
and  mingled  with  their  idolatrous  rites  many  cruel, 
obscene,  and  vile  abominations. — Such  is  still  the 
moral  debasement,  even  in  modern  times,  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  nations  which  dwell  upon  the 
earth.  Even  the  Hindoos,  the  Birmans,  the  Chi¬ 
nese,  the  Persians,  and  the  Japanese,  though  ranked 
among  the  most  polished  nations  of  the  heathen 
world,  are  sunk  into  the  grossest  ignorance  of  the 
true  God,  and  are  found  perpetrating,  in  their  re¬ 
ligious  worship,  deeds  revolting  to  humanity,  and 
stained  with  cruelty  and  injustice. 

The  moral  effects  which  were  produced  by  a  de¬ 
parture  from  this  fundamental  law  of  the  Creator, 
were  such  as  corresponded  with  the  abominations 
of  that  religious  system  which  was  adopted.  Man 
is  an  imitative  being;  and  he  generally  imitates  the 
actions-  of  those  whom  he  conceives  to  be  placed  in 
a  superior  rank  and  station.  When,  therefore,  the 
gods  were  introduced  to  his  view  as  swollen  with 
pride,  mad  with  rage,  fired  with  revenge,  inflamed 
with  lust,  engaged  in  battles  and  contests,  delighting 
in  scenes  of  blood  and  rapine,  in  hatred  and  mutual 
contentions,  and  in  all  kinds  of  riot  and  debauchery, 


280 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


it  was  natural  to  suppose  that  such  passions  and 
crimes  would  be  imitated  by  their  blinded  votaries. 
Accordingly  we  find,  that  such  vices  universally  pre¬ 
vailed,  eveu  among  the  politest  nations  of  antiquity ; 
and  some  of  their  sacred  rites,  solemnized  in  honour 
of  their  gods,  were  so  bestial  and  shocking,  as  to  ex¬ 
cite  horror  in  every  mind  possessed  of  the  least  sense 
of  decency  and  virtue.  They  gloried  in  the  desola¬ 
tion  and  destruction  of  neighbouring  nations.  To 
conquer,  and  oppress,  and  enslave  their  fellow-men, 
and  to  aggrandize  themselves  by  slaughter  and  rapine, 
were  the  great  objects  of  their  ambition.  The  law  of 
kindness  and  of  universal  benevolence  was  trampled 
under  foot,  and  even  the  common  dictates  of  huma¬ 
nity  and  justice  were  set  at  defiance.  But  this  was 
not  all — Idolatry  soon  began  to  instigate  its  votaries 
to  the  perpetration  of  the  most  revolting  and  unna¬ 
tural  cruelties.  Dreadful  tortures  were  inflicted  on 
their  bodies,  to  appease  their  offended  deities;  hu¬ 
man  victims,  in  vast  numbers,  were  sacrificed,  and 
even  their  infants  and  little  children  were  thrown 
into  the  flames,  as  an  offering  to  the  idol  which  they 
adored. 

The  Mexicans  were  accustomed  to  treat  them¬ 
selves  with  the  most  inhuman  austerities,  thinking 
that  the  diabolical  rage  of  their  deities  would  be  ap¬ 
peased  by  human  blood.  <£  It  makes  one  shudder,” 
says  Clavigero,  il  to  read  the  austerities  which  they 
practised  upon  themselves,  either  in  atonement  for 
their  transgressions,  or  in  preparation  for  their  fes¬ 
tivals.  They  mangled  their  flesh  as  if  it  had  been 
insensible,  and  let  their  blood  run  in  such  profusion, 
as  if  it  had  been  a  superfluous  fluid  in  the  body. 


IDOLATRY. 


281 


They  pierced  themselves  with  the  sharpest  spines  of 
the  aloe,  and  bored  several  parts  of  their  bodies, 
particularly  their  ears,  lips,  tongues,  and  the  fat  of 
their  arms  and  legs.”  The  priests  of  Baal,  we  are 
told  in  the  book  of  Kings,  “  cut  themselves  with 
knives  and  lancets,  till  the  blood  gushed  out  upon 
them.”  When  the  Carthaginians  were  vanquished 
by  Agathocles,  king  of  Sicily,  they  conceived  that 
their  god,  Jupiter  Latialis,  was  displeased  with  their 
conduct.  In  order  to  appease  him,  and  propitiate 
his  favour,  they  sacrificed  to  him,  at  once,  tico  hun¬ 
dred  sons  of  the  first  noblemen  of  their  state.  On 
the  altars  of  Mexico,  twenty  thousand  human  beings 
are  said  to  have  been  sacrificed  every  year;  and 
fifty  thousand  were  annually  offered  up  in  the  vari¬ 
ous  parts  of  that  empire,  accompanied  with  circum¬ 
stances  of  such  dreadful  cruelty  and  horror,  as  make 
us  shudder  at  the  recital.  In  Hindostan,  even  at 
the  present  day,  several  thousands  of  women  are  an¬ 
nually  burned  on  the  funeral  piles  of  their  deceased 
husbands,  as  victims  to  the  religion  they  profess; 
besides  multitudes  of  other  human  victims,  which 
are  crushed  to  death  under  the  wheels  of  that  in¬ 
fernal  engine  which  supports  the  idol  Juggernaut. 
Were  the  one-hundredth  part  of  the  abominations 
which  have  been  perpetrated  under  the  system  of 
idolatry,  in  those  countries  where  it  has  prevailed, 
to  be  fully  detailed,  it  would  exhibit  a  picture  of  in¬ 
fernal  agency,  at  which  the  mind  would  shrink  back 
with  horror;  and  would  form  a  striking  commentary 
on  the  divine  declaration,  that  “  the  dark  places  of 
the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty.” 

It  appears,  then,  that  a  violation  of  the  first  pre- 


282 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


cept  of  the  moral  law  is  the  greatest  crime  of  which 
a  rational  creature  can  he  guilty ;  for  it  is  the  source 
of  all  the  other  crimes  which  have  entailed  wretched¬ 
ness  on  mankind,  and  strewed  the  earth  with  devas¬ 
tation  and  carnage.  It  is  a  comprehensive  summary 
of  wickedness;  which  includes  pride,  falsehood,  blas¬ 
phemy,  malignity,  rebellion,  hatred  of  moral  excel¬ 
lence,  and  the  basest  ingratitude  towards  Him  from 
whom  we  derived  our  being,  and  on  whom  we  de¬ 
pend  for  all  our  enjoyments.  It  is  a  crime  which, 
above  all  others,  has  a  tendency  to  degrade  the 
character  of  man;  for  where  it  abounds,  the  human 
mind  is  sunk  into  the  lowest  state,  both  of  moral 
and  of  intellectual  debasement.  What  a  pitiful  and 
humiliating  sight  is  it,  and  what  emotions  of  aston¬ 
ishment  must  it  excite  in  the  mind  of  an  archangel, 
to  behold  a  rational  and  immortal  intelligence  cutting 
down  an  oak  in  the  forest,  burning  part  of  it  in  the 
fire,  baking  bread  and  roasting  flesh  upon  its  em¬ 
bers,  and  forming  the  residue  into  an  idol,  falling 
down  and  worshipping  it,  and  saying,  <c  Deliver  me, 
for  thou  art  my  god  !”*  And  when  we  behold  the 
same  degraded  mortal  sacrificing  the  children  of  his 
own  bowels  before  this  stump  of  a  tree,  can  we  re¬ 
frain  from  exclaiming,  in  the  language  of  the  pro¬ 
phet,  “  Be  astonished,  O  ye  heavens,  at  this,  and 
be  yc  horribly  afraid !”  Were  idolatry  to  become 
universal  in  the  world,  there  is  no  crime,  no  species 
of  cruelty,  no  moral  abomination  within  the  compass 
of  the  human  heart  to  devise,  but  would  soon  be 
perpetrated  without  a  blush,  in  the  open  face  of  day. 


*  See  Isaiah  xliv.  9 — 20. 


IDOLATRY. 


283 


Had  not  God,  in  his  mercy,  communicated  a  revela¬ 
tion  of  his  will,  in  order  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
Pagan  theology, — instead  of  cultivating  the  powers 
of  our  minds,  and  expanding  our  conception  of  the 
Almighty,  by  a  contemplation  of  his  word  and  works, 
we  might,  at  this  moment,  have  been  sunk  into  the 
lowest  depths  of  moral  degradation,  been  prostrating 
ourselves  in  adoration  before  a  stupid  ox,  or  a  block 
of  marble,  and  sacrificing  our  sons  and  daughters  to 
an  infernal  Moloch.  It  is  one  of  the  glories  of 
Revelation,  and  a  strong  proof  of  its  divine  origin, 
that  all  its  promises  and  threatenings,  its  admonitions 
and  reproofs,  its  doctrines,  its  laws  and  ordinances, 
are  directly  opposed  to  every  idolatrous  practice ; 
and  that  there  is  not  a  single  instance  in  which  the 
least  countenance  is  given  to  any  of  the  abominations 
of  the  Pagan  world. 

In  the  present  age,  and  in  the  country  in  which 
we  reside,  we  are  in  little  danger  of  relapsing  into 
the  practices  to  which  I  have  now  adverted.  But 
idolatry  is  not  confined  to  the  adoration  of  pagan 
divinities :  it  has  its  seat  in  every  heart  where  God 
is  banished  from  the  thoughts,  and  where  pride, 
ambition,  and  avarice  occupy  the  highest  place. 
“  Covetousness,”  or  an  inordinate  love  of  wealth,  is 
declared  by  the  Apostle  Paul  to  be  (i  idolatry;”  and 
such  mental  idolatry,  though  more  refined  than  that 
of  the  heathen  world,  is  almost  equally  abhorrent  to 
the  Divine  Being,  and  equally  subversive  of  the 
grand  principles  of  Christian  morality.  If  the  ac¬ 
quisition  of  wealth  and  riches  be  the  constant  and 
supreme  aim  of  any  individual,  Mammon  is  the  god 
whom  he  regularly  worships,  and  the  God  of  heaven 


284 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


is  dethroned  from  his  seat  in  the  affections.  Such 
moral  effects  as  the  following  are  the  natural  results 
of  this  species  of  idolatry  :  It  steels  the  heart  against 
every  benevolent  and  generous  emotion  ;  it  shuts  the 
ears  to  the  cries  of  the  poor  and  needy ;  it  engenders 
cheating,  falsehood,  and  deceit ;  it  prevents  the  man 
in  whom  it  predominates  from  exerting  his  active 
powers,  and  from  contributing  of  his  wealth  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  happiness  of  mankind ;  it  chains  down  his 
noble  faculties  to  the  objects  of  time  and  sense;  it 
leads  him  to  love  and  to  serve  himself  more  than  the 
Creator;  it  wraps  him  up  in  selfishness,  and  an  in¬ 
difference  to  the  concerns  of  all  other  beings;  it 
undermines  the  principles  of  equity  and  justice ;  it 
blunts  the  feelings  of  humanity  and  compassion ; 
and  prevents  him  from  attending  to  the  salvation  of 
his  soul,  and  from  looking  at  those  things  which  are 
unseen  and  eternal.  And  in  every  other  case  where 
a  similar  principle  holds  the  supreme  seat  in  the 
affections,  similar  effects  will  be  produced. 


THE  SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shall  not  make  unto  thee  any  graven  image ,  nor 
any  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above ,  or 
that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  itt  the  waters 
under  the  earth:  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to 
them,  nor  serve  them." 

The  first  commandment,  which  I  have  illustrated 
above,  respects  the  object  of  our  worship  ;  forbidding 
us  to  substitute  any  other  being  in  the  room  of  God, 
or  to  offer  to  it  that  homage  which  is  due  to  the 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


285 


eternal  Jehovah.  This  second  commandment  re¬ 
spects  the  manner  in  which  he  is  to  be  worshipped. 
And,  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Divine 
Being  is  to  be  contemplated  and  adored,  it  is  expressly 
declared,  that  no  image  nor  representation  of  this 
incomprehensible  Being,  is,  at  any  time,  or  on  any 
account,  to  be  formed.  This  command,  like  the 
former,  might  at  first  sight  appear  to  be  unneces¬ 
sary,  if  the  almost  universal  practice  of  mankind  had 
not  taught  us,  that  there  is  no  disposition  which  the 
human  mind  is  more  apt  to  indulge,  than  to  endea¬ 
vour  to  bring  the  invisible  Divinity  within  the  range 
of  our  senses,  and  to  contemplate  him  as  such  a  one 
as  ourselves.  The  necessity  of  this  injunction,  its 
reasonableness,  and  the  folly  and  absurdity  of  the 
practice  against  which  it  is  directed,  will  appear  from 
the  following  considerations. 

The  Divine  Being  fills  the  immensity  of  space 
with  his  presence,  and  to  his  essence  we  can  set  no 
bounds.  He  inhabited  eternity,  before  the  earth  or 
the  heavens  were  brought  into  existence,  rejoicing 
in  the  contemplation  of  his  own  excellencies,  and  in 
the  future  effects  of  his  power  and  benevolence. 
He  is  a  spiritual,  uncompounded  substance,  and  con¬ 
sequently  invisible  to  mortal  eyes,  and  impalpable  to 
every  other  organ  of  sensation.  His  Omnipotence 
neither  man  nor  angel  can  scan,  nor  can  they  ex¬ 
plore  the  depths  of  his  wisdom  and  intelligence. 
When  universal  silence  and  solitude  reigned  through¬ 
out  the  infinite  void — when  not  a  sound  was  heard, 
nor  an  object  seen  within  the  immeasurable  extent  of 
boundless  space — at  his  command,  worlds,  numerous 
as  the  sand,  started  into  being.  Thousands  of  suns 


286 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


diffused  their  splendours  through  the  regions  of  im¬ 
mensity  ;  the  ponderous  masses  of  the  planets  were 
launched  into  existence,  and  impelled  in  their  rapid 
courses  through  the  sky — their  surfaces  were  adorned 
with  resplendent  beauties,  and  replenished  with  my¬ 
riads  of  delighted  inhabitants.  The  seraphim  and 
the  cherubim  began  to  chant  their  hymns  of  praise, 
and  “  shouted  for  joy”  when  they  beheld  new  worlds 
emerging  from  the  voids  of  space.  Life,  motion, 
activity,  beauty,  grandeur,  splendid  illumination,  and 
rapturous  joy,  among  unnumbered  intelligences, 
burst  upon  the  view,  where  a  little  before  nothing 
appeared  but  one  immense,  dark,  and  cheerless  void. 
And  ever  since  duration  began  to  be  measured  by 
the  revolutions  of  celestial  orbs,  the  same  omnipotent 
energy  has  been  incessantly  exerted  in  directing  the 
movements  of  all  worlds,  and  in  upholding  them  in 
their  vast  career.  Of  a  Being  invested  with  attri¬ 
butes  so  glorious  and  incomprehensible,  with  power 
so  astonishing  in  its  effects,  with  goodness  so  bound¬ 
less,  and  with  wisdom  so  unsearchable,  what  image 
or  representation  can  possibly  be  formed  which  will 
not  tend  to  contract  our  conceptions,  and  to  debase 
the  character  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  Mind  !  <c  To 
whom  will  ye  liken  me,  or  shall  I  be  equal?  saith 
the  Holy  One.” 

When  a  person  of  dignity  and  of  respectability  of 
character  is  caricatured ,  and  associated  with  objects 
and  circumstances  that  are  mean,  ridiculous,  and 
grotesque,  it  has  a  tendency  to  degrade  his  character, 
and  to  lessen  our  veneration.  For,  the  respect  we 
entertain  for  any  individual  is  founded  on  the  view 
we  take  of  him  in  all  the  aspects  in  which  he  may 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


287 


be  contemplated.  For  a  similar  reason,  every  at¬ 
tempt  to  represent  the  Divine  Majesty  by  sensible 
images,  must  have  a  tendency  to  narrow  our  concep¬ 
tions  of  his  glory,  to  debase  his  character,  and  to 
lessen  our  reverence  and  respect.  What  possible 
similitude  can  there  be  between  that  mighty  Being, 
who,  by  his  word,  lighted  up  the  sun,  and  diffused 
ten  thousands  of  such  immense  luminaries  through 
the  regions  of  creation,  whose  hand  wields  the  planets, 
and  rolls  them  through  the  tracts  of  immensity, — 
between  Him  who  <c  meteth  out  the  heavens  with  a 
span,  and  holds  the  ocean  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand” — and  the  most  resplendent  image  that  was 
ever  formed  by  human  hands  !  Even  the  sun  him¬ 
self,  with  all  his  immensity  of  splendour,  although 
our  minds  were  expanded  to  comprehend  his  vast 
magnificence,  would  form  but  a  poor  and  pitiful  image 
of  Him  whose  breath  has  kindled  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  suns.  How  much  less  can  a 
block  of  marble,  or  a  stupid  ox,  adumbrate  the  glories 
of  the  King  eternal,  immortal,  and  invisible  !  It 
will,  doubtless,  redound  to  the  eternal  disgrace  of 
the  human  character,  in  every  region  of  the  universe 
where  it  is  known,  that  ever  such  an  impious  attempt 
was  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  our  world,  as  to  com¬ 
pare  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  to  an  image 
made  like  to  corruptible  man.  Wherever  such  at¬ 
tempts  have  been  made,  there  we  behold  human  na¬ 
ture  in  its  lowest  state  of  debasement;  the  intellectual 
faculties  darkened,  bewildered,  and  degraded ;  the 
moral  powers  perverted  and  depraved ;  grovelling 
affections  predominating  over  the  dictates  of  reason, 
and  diabolical  passions  raging  without  control.  Hence, 


288 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


too,  the  debasing  tendency  of  all  those  attempts 
which  have  been  made  to  introduce  into  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  pictures  and  images  to  represent  “  the 
invisible  things  of  God,”  and  the  sufferings  of  the 
Redeemer.  For,  wherever  such  practices  prevail, 
the  minds  of  men  will  generally  be  found  to  enter¬ 
tain  the  grossest  conceptions  of  the  Divine  Being, 
and  of  the  solemn  realities  of  religion. 

But  the  principal  reason  why  any  representation 
of  God  is  expressly  forbidden  in  this  commandment, 
is,  that  whenever  such  a  practice  commences,  it  in¬ 
fallibly  ends  in  adoring  the  image  itself,  instead  of 
the  object  it  was  intended  to  represent.  Or,  in 
other  words,  the  breach  of  this  commandment  neces¬ 
sarily  and  uniformly  leads  to  a  breach  of  the  first. 
Notwithstanding  the  shock  which  the  human  mind 
appears  to  have  received  by  the  fall,  it  is  altogether 
inconceivable,  that  any  tribe  of  mankind  should  have 
been  so  debased  and  brutalized,  as,  in  the  first  in¬ 
stance,  to  mistake  a  crocodile,  or  the  stump  of  a  tree, 
however  beautifully  carved,  for  the  Creator  of  heaven 
and  earth.  Such  objects  appear  to  have  been  first 
used  as  symbols  or  representations  of  the  Deity,  in 
order  to  assist  the  mind  in  forming  a  conception  of 
his  invisible  attributes.  But  as  they  had  a  direct 
tendency  to  debase  the  mind,  and  to  obscure  the 
glory  of  the  Divinity,  in  process  of  time  they  began 
to  be  regarded  by  the  ignorant  multitude  as  the  very 
gods  themselves,  which  they  were  at  first  intended  to 
represent;  and  that  tribute  of  adoration  was  paid  to 
the  symbol  itself,  which  was  originally  intended  to  be 
given  to  the  invisible  God,  through  this  sensible  me¬ 
dium.  And  when  we  contemplate  kings  and  princes, 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


289 


poets  and  philosophers,  heroes  and  sages,  “  young 
men  and  virgins,  old  men  and  children,”  whole  pro¬ 
vinces,  nations,  and  continents,  prostrating  them¬ 
selves  before  the  shrine  of  such  despicable  idols,  and 
the  idea  of  the  true  God  almost  banished  from  the 
world,  we  have  reason  to  feel  ashamed,  that  we  be- 
Ions  to  a  race  of  intelligences  that  have  thus  so 
grossly  prostituted  their  rational  and  moral  powers. 

The  only  natural  image  or  representation  of  God 
which  is  set  before  us  for  our  contemplation,  is,  the 
boundless  universe  which  his  hands  have  formed ; 
and  his  moral  image  is  displayed  in  the  laws  which 
he  has  published,  in  the  movements  of  his  providence, 
and  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  who  is  “  the 
image  of  the  invisible  God,  and  the  brightness  of  his 
glory.”  All  these  exhibitions  of  the  Divine  Ma¬ 
jesty,  we  are  commanded  to  study  and  contemplate ; 
and  it  is  essentially  requisite,  in  order  to  our  acquir¬ 
ing  correct  and  comprehensive  views  of  the  object  of 
our  adoration,  that  no  one  of  these  displays  of  the 
Divinity  should  be  overlooked,  or  thrown  into  the 
shade.  There  are  some  Christians  who  imagine 
they  may  acquire  a  competent  knowledge  of  the  char¬ 
acter  of  God,  although  they  should  never  spend 
a  single  moment  in  contemplating  his  perfections  as 
displayed  in  his  visible  works.  In  regard  to  such,  I 
hesitate  not  to  affirm,  that  they  are,  to  a  certain  ex¬ 
tent,  idolaters,  and  remain  wilful  idolaters,  contented 
with  the  most  inadequate  and  grovelling  conceptions 
of  the  Deity,  so  long  as  they  refuse  to  contemplate, 
with  intelligence,  the  operations  of  his  hands.  If  a 
man’s  ideas  never  extend  beyond  the  bounds  of  his 
visible  horizon,  or  beyond  the  limits  of  the  country 

D.  2.  N 


290 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


in  which  he  resides,  and  if,  at  the  same  time,  he  has 
overlooked  the  most  striking  displays  of  Divine  wis¬ 
dom  and  goodness  within  these  bounds — his  con- 
ccptions  of  the  Divine  Being  himself,  will  nearly 
correspond  with  the  conceptions  he  forms  of  his 
works.  If  his  views  be  even  confined  within  the 
limits  of  the  globe  on  which  he  dwells,  his  concep¬ 
tions  of  God  will  still  be  grovelling,  distorted,  and 
imperfect.  And,  therefore,  the  idea  which  such  an 
individual  forms  to  himself  of  God,  may  be  inferior 
to  that  which  is  due  to  one  of  the  higher  orders  of 
created  intelligences.  And  if  so,  he  has  only  an 
image  of  a  creature  in  his  mind,  instead  of  a  compre¬ 
hensive  conception  of  the  Great  Creator.  We  have 
too  much  reason  to  believe,  that  there  are  multitudes 
in  the  religious  world  who  pass  for  enlightened 
Christians,  whose  ideas  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the 
universe  do  not  rise  beyond  the  conceptions  we 
ought  to  form  of  the  powers  and  capacities  of  Gabriel 
the  archangel,  or  of  one  of  the  highest  order  of  the 
seraphim. 

We  can  never  expect,  from  the  very  nature  of 
things,  to  be  able  to  explore  the  depths  of  Jehovah’s 
essence,  or  to  comprehend  the  whole  range  of  his 
dominions  and  government.  But  a  large  portion  of 
Iris  operations  lies  open  to  our  inspection ;  and  it  is 
from  an  enlightened  contemplation  of  what  is  pre¬ 
sented  to  our  view  in  the  visible  universe,  that  we 
are  to  form  our  conceptions  of  the  grandeur  of  the 
Eternal  Mind.  For  it  may  be  admitted  as  an 
axiom,  both  in  natural  and  revealed  theology,  that 
our  conceptions  of  God  will  nearly  correspond  with 
the  conceptions  we  acquire  of  the  nature  and  extent 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


291 


of  his  opei'ations.  In  the  universe  around  us,  we 
perceive  an  image  of  his  infinity,  in  so  far  as  finite 
and  material  existence  can  adumbrate  the  attributes 
of  an  Infinite  and  Invisible  Existence.  When  we 
lift  our  eyes  towards  the  midnight  sky,  we  behold  a 
thousand  suns  diffusing  their  splendours  from  regions 
of  space  immeasurably  distant.  When  we  apply  a 
telescope  to  any  portion  of  this  vast  concave,  we  per¬ 
ceive  thousands  more  which  the  unassisted  eye  can¬ 
not  discern.  When  we  increase  the  magnifying 
powers  of  the  instrument,  we  descry  numerous  orbs 
of  light,  stretching  still  farther  into  the  unfathom¬ 
able  depths  of  space ;  so  that  there  appear  no  limits 
to  the  scene  of  creating  power.  When  the  eye  of 
reason  penetrates  beyond  all  that  is  visible  through 
the  most  powerful  telescopes,  it  contemplates  a  bound¬ 
less  region  teeming  with  other  resplendent  suns  and 
systems,  whose  number  and  magnificence  overwhelm 
the  imagination ;  so  that  no  limit  can  be  set  to  the 
excursions  of  the  intellect  when  it  wings  its  flight 
over  the  wide  empire  of  Jehovah.  Over  all  this  vast 
assemblage  of  material  splendour,  over  its  move¬ 
ments,  and  over  all  the  diversified  ranks  of  intelli¬ 
gence  it  supports,  God  eternally  and  unchangeably 
presides.  He  is  an  Infinite  Being; — and  in  this 
immense  universe  which  he  has  opened  to  our  view, 
he  has  given  us  an  image  of  his  infinity,  which  cor¬ 
responds  with  the  perfections  which  the  inspired 
writers  ascribe  to  him — and  without  a  contemplation 
of  which,  the  mind  must  have  a  very  unworthy  and 
circumscribed  idea  of  the  attributes  of  the  Eternal 
Mind.  Even  in  many  of  the  objects  which  surround 
us  in  this  lower  world,  we  perceive  an  image  of  the 

n  2 


292 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


infinity  of  the  Creator — particularly  in  those  living 
worlds  which  are  contained  in  a  few  drops  of  water, 
some  of  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  several  hun¬ 
dreds  of  thousands  of  times  smaller  than  the  least 
grain  of  sand. — To  the  contemplation  of  such  ob¬ 
jects  we  are  directed  by  God  himself,  in  order  to  ac¬ 
quire  an  impressive  view  of  his  character  and  opera¬ 
tions  :  <c  Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who 
hath  created  these  orbs,  that  bringeth  out  their  host 
by  number:  he  calleth  them  all  by  names,  by  the 
greatness  of  his  might,  for  that  he  is  strong  in 
power.” — And  the  prophets,  when  reasoning  against 
idolatry,  present  us  with  a  train  of  thoughts  similar  to 
that  to  which  I  have  now  adverted.  They  describe 
the  Almighty  as  <c  sitting  on  the  circle  of  the  hea¬ 
vens,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  as  grasshop¬ 
pers  in  his  sight.”  They  represent  him  as  <£  mea¬ 
suring  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  weighing 
the  mountains  in  scales,  and  meting  out  the  heavens 
ivith  a  span — before  whom  all  nations  are  as  the 
drop  of  a  bucket,  and  are  counted  to  him  less  than 
nothing  and  vanity.” 

It  is  strange,  indeed,  that  the  duty  of  contemplat¬ 
ing  the  image  of  God  as  impressed  upon  his  works, 
should  be  so  much  overlooked  by  the  great  body  of 
the  Christian  world,  notwithstanding  the  obvious 
reasonableness  of  this  duty,  and  the  pointed  injunc¬ 
tions  in  relation  to  it  which  are  reiterated  in  every 
department  of  the  word  of  God.  It  is  still  more 
strange,  that  the  instructions  of  many  religious 
teachers  have  a  tendency  to  dissuade  Christians  from 
engaging  in  this  duty,  by  the  foolish  contrasts  they 
attempt  to  draw  between  the  word  and  the  works  of 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


293 


God;  so  that  the  great  mass  of  Christians  are  left 
to  remain  half  idolaters,  for  want  of  those  expansive 
conceptions  of  God  which  a  knowledge  of  his  works 
is  calculated  to  produce.  It  is  also  most  unaccount¬ 
able,  on  every  principle  of  reason,  and  of  revelation, 
that  the  wilful  neglect  of  this  duty  should  never  be 
accounted  either  as  a  sin,  or  as  a  want  of  that  respect 
which  is  due  to  the  Majesty  of  Heaven.  We  have 
known  persons  rebuked,  and  even  excluded  from  a 
Christian  church,  for  holding  a  metaphysical  senti¬ 
ment  different  from  their  brethren  respecting  the 
divine  plans  and  decrees ;  but  we  never  heard  of  an 
individual  being  either  reproved  or  admonished  by  a 
Christian  society,  for  neglecting  to  contemplate  the 
character  of  God  as  displayed  in  his  works,  although 
he  had  lived  fifty  years  amidst  the  magnificence  of 
creation,  and  had  acquired  little  more  knowledge  of 
his  Creator,  from  this  source,  than  the  ox  which 
browses  on  the  grass.  Yet  to  this  neglect  is  to  be 
imputed  a  great  proportion  of  those  grovelling  con¬ 
ceptions,  superstitious  notions,  and  distorted  views  of 
the  doctrines  of  religion,  which  still  disgrace  the 
Christian  world.  This  fact  is  still  more  unaccount¬ 
able,  when  we  consider,  that  a  knowledge  of  the  ab¬ 
strusities  and  technicalities  of  science  is  not  requisite 
in  order  to  the  performance  of  this  duty.  It  requires 
only  the  eye  of  sense,  of  reason,  and  of  devotion,  to 
be  directed  to  the  scene  of  divine  operation  within 
us  and  around  us,  and  to  be  occasionally  fixed  on 
the  object  we  contemplate,  in  order  to  appreciate  the 
perfections  and  the  glory  of  the  ever-present  Deity. 
Although  there  were  no  other  striking  objects  around 
us,  the  single  fact  of  the  apparent  revolution  of  the 


29  £  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

celestial  concave,  with  all  its  magnificent  orbs,  around 
the  earth  every  twenty-four  hours,  is  sufficient  to 
overpower  the  mind  of  every  rational  observer  with 
admiration  and  wonder,  if  his  attention  were  seri¬ 
ously  directed  to  it  only  for  a  single  hour.  The 
ideas  of  majesty,  of  grandeur,  and  of  omnipotent 
energy,  which  this  single  circumstance  is  calculated 
to  inspire,  are  such  as  irresistibly  to  lead  the  mind  to 
the  contemplation  of  a  Being  whose  perfections  are 
incomprehensible,  and  whose  ways  are  past  finding 
out.  Yet  I  believe  it  may  be  affirmed  with  truth, 
that  more  than  the  one  half  of  the  Christian  world 
are  ignorant  that  such  a  fact  exists:*  such  is  the 
indifference  and  apathy  with  which  many  religionists 
view  the  works  of  God. 

It  was  chiefly  owing  to  such  criminal  inattention 
to  the  displays  of  the  Divine  Character  in  the  works 
of  creation,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  Pagan  world 
plunged  themselves  into  all  the  absurdities  and  abo¬ 
minations  of  idolatry  :  <{  For  the  invisible  tilings  of 
God,  even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead,  are  clearly 
seen  in  the  things  that  are  made,”  if  men  would  but 
open  their  eyes,  and  exercise  their  powers  of  intelli¬ 
gence  :  ((  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  Jeho¬ 
vah  they  declare  it  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  :  “  There  is  no  speech  nor  language  where 
their  voice  is  not  heard :  their  line  is  gone  out 

o 


*  Here  I  refer  simply  to  the  apparent  motion  of  the  heavens — 
leaving  every  one  to  form  his  own  opinion  as  to  the  other  alter¬ 
native — the  motion  of  the  earth.  In  either  case  the  mind  is  over¬ 
powered  with  ideas  of  grandeur  and  of  Almighty  power _ See 

this  topic  more  particularly  illustrated  in  the  “  Christian  Philoso¬ 
pher,”  Sixth  Edition,  p.  G7,  273,  489. 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


295 


through  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  to  the  end  of 
the  world.” 

“  In  Reason’s  ear  they  all  rejoice, 

And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice  ; 

For  ever  singing,  as  they  shine, 

‘  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine.’  ” 


But  the  Heathen  world  did  not  listen  to  the  in¬ 
structions  thus  conveyed,  nor  did  they  apply  their 
understandings,  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  to  trace 
the  invisible  things  of  God,  from  the  visible  displays 
of  his  character  and  perfections  in  the  universe 
around  them :  “  They  became  vain  in  their  imagina¬ 
tions,  and  their  foolish  hearts  were  darkened ;  and 
professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  became  fools.” 
While  “  the  harp  and  the  viol,  the  tabret,  the  pipe, 
and  the  wine,  were  in  their  feasts,  they  regarded  not 
the  works  of  the  Lord,  nor  considered  the  operations 
of  his  hands. — Wherefore  they  were  given  up  by 
God  to  indulge  in  vile  affections,”  and  <s  to  worship 
and  serve  the  creature  rather  than  the  Creator,  who 
is  blessed  for  ever.”  And,  even  under  the  Christian 
dispensation,  we  have  too  much  reason  to  fear,  that 
effects  somewhat  analogous  to  these  have  been  pro¬ 
duced,  and  a  species  of  mental  idolatry  practised  by 
thousands  who  have  professed  the  religion  of  Jesus; 
owing  to  their  inattention  to  the  visible  operations  of 
Jehovah,  and  to  their  not  connecting  them  with  the 
displays  of  his  character  and  agency  as  exhibited  in 
the  revelations  of  his  word. 


296 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


THE  THIRD  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  sTicdt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 

vain.” 

The  name  of  any  person  is  that  which  distin¬ 
guishes  him  from  other  individuals.  Whatever  word 
is  employed  to  distinguish  any  object,  whether  ani¬ 
mate  or  inanimate,  is  its  name.  In  like  manner,  the 
Name  of  God  is  that  by  which  he  is  distinguished 
from  all  other  beings.  It  includes  those  terms  which 
express  his  nature  and  character,  as  Jehovah — those 
titles  by  which  his  relation  to  his  creatures  is  desig¬ 
nated,  as  “  The  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth, — 
The  Father  of  mercies, — The  God  of  salvation,” 
&c. — the  attributes  of  which  he  is  possessed,  as  his 
Eternity,  Omniscience,  Omnipotence,  Holiness,  Jus¬ 
tice,  &c. — the  works  which  he  has  exhibited  in  hea¬ 
ven  and  on  earth — the  movements  of  his  Providence , 
and  the  Revelations  of  his  word.  By  every  one  of 
these,  the  character  of  God  is  distinguished  from 
that  of  all  other  beings  in  the  universe.  In  relation 
to  this  name  or  character  of  the  Divine  Being,  it  is 
solemnly  commanded,  that  <£  we  are  not  to  take  it  in 
vain,” — that  is,  we  are  not  to  use  any  of  the  titles 
or  designations  of  the  Divine  Majesty,  for  trifling, 
vain,  or  evil  purposes ;  nor  are  we  to  treat  any  dis¬ 
plays  of  his  character  with  levity,  profaneness,  or 
irreverence. 

We  violate  this  command,  when  we  use  the  name 
of  God,  in  common  discourse,  in  a  light  and  irrever¬ 
ent  manner ;  when  we  interlard  our  conversation  with 


RELIGIOUS  VENERATION. 


297 


unnecessary  oaths  and  asseverations  in  which  this 
name  is  introduced ;  when  we  swear  to  what  we  know 
to  be  false,  or  when  we  multiply  oaths  in  reference 
to  vain  and  trifling  concerns;  when  we  imprecate 
curses  and  damnation  on  our  fellow-creatures ;  when 
we  approach  God  in  prayer  without  those  feelings  of 
reverence  and  awe  which  his  perfections  demand ; 
when  we  swear  by  any  object  in  heaven  or  in  earth, 
or  by  the  false  deities  of  the  heathen  world ;  when 
we  treat  his  wonderful  works  with  indifference  or 
contempt;  when  we  endeavour  to  caricature  and 
misrepresent  them,  or  attempt  to  throw  a  veil  over 
their  glory;  when  we  insinuate  that  his  most  glori¬ 
ous  and  magnificent  works  were  made  for  no  end, 
or  for  no  end  worthy  of  that  infinite  wisdom  and  in¬ 
telligence  by  which  they  were  contrived;  when  we 
overlook  or  deny  the  Divine  Agency,  which  is  dis¬ 
played  in  the  operations  of  nature ;  when  we  murmur 
and  repine  at  his  moral  dispensations,  or  view  the 
mighty  movements  of  his  Providence  with  a  spirit 
of  levity ;  when  we  treat  the  revelations  of  the  Bible 
with  indifference  or  with  scorn ;  when  we  make  the 
declarations  of  that  book  which  unfolds  to  us  the 
adorable  character  of  Jehovah,  the  subject  of  merri¬ 
ment  and  jest;  when  we  endeavour  to  throw  upon 
them  contempt  and  ridicule,  with  the  view  of  under¬ 
mining  their  divine  authority  ;  and  when  we  sneer  at 
the  public  and  private  worship  of  God,  and  at  the 
ordinances  he  hath  appointed. — In  all  these  and 
many  other  ways,  the  name  of  God  is  profaned,  and 
that  reverence  of  the  Divine  Being,  which  is  the 
foundation  of  all  religion  and  moral  order,  under¬ 
mined  and  subverted. 

n  3 


2<>S 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


When  the  name  or  the  titles  by  which  a  fellow- 
mortal  is  distinguished,  are  made  the  subject  of  ban¬ 
ter  and  ridicule  in  every  company;  when  they  are 
brought  forward  for  the  purpose  of  giving  an  edge 
to  a  sarcastic  sneer;  and  when  his  employments  and 
the  works  he  has  constructed,  are  contemned  and  as¬ 
sociated  with  every  thing  that  is  mean  and  degrading 
— it  is  an  evidence  of  the  low  estimation  in  which 
he  is  held  by  the  individual  who  does  so,  and  has  a 
tendency  to  debase  his  character  in  the  eyes  of  others. 
On  the  same  principle,  the  profanation  of  the  name 
of  God  has  an  evident  tendency  to  lessen  our  ad¬ 
miration  of  the  Majesty  of  Heaven,  and  to  banish 
from  the  mind  every  sentiment  of  veneration  and 
reverence.  The  man  who  can  deliberately  violate 
this  command  from  day  to  day — thus  offering  a  con¬ 
tinual  insult  to  his  Maker — proclaims  to  all  around, 
that  he  has  no  emotions  of  reverence  and  affection 
towards  that  Almighty  Being,  whose  power  upholds 
the  fabric  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  who  dispenses 
life  and  death  to  whomsoever  he  pleases.  “  He 
stretcheth  out  his  hand  against  God,  and  strengthen¬ 
ed!  himself  against  the  Almighty.”  He  proclaims 
to  every  reflecting  mind,  that  pride,  enmity,  and  re¬ 
bellion  are  deeply  seated  in  his  heart,  and  that  (i  the 
fear  of  God,”  and  the  solemnities  of  a  future  judg¬ 
ment,  “  are  not  before  his  eyes.” 

Were  the  violation  of  this  law  to  become  univer¬ 
sal  among  men — the  name  of  God,  among  all  ranks, 
ages,  and  conditions  of  life,  would  be  associated,  not 
only  with  every  trifling  discourse  and  altercation,  but 
with  every  species  of  ribaldry  and  obscenity.  The 
lisping  babe  would  be  taught  to  insult  that  Mighty 


RELIGIOUS  VENERATION. 


299 


Being,  from  whom  it  so  lately  derived  its  existence ; 
and  the  man  of  hoary  hairs,  even  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  would  pass  into  the  eternal  state,  imprecating 
the  vengeance  of  his  Maker.  All  reverence  tor 
Jehovah  would  of  course  be  banished  from  society : 
no  temples  would  be  erected  to  his  honour ;  no  silent 
adorations  of  the  heart  would  ascend  to  his  throne ; 
no  vows  would  be  paid;  no  forms  of  worship  ap¬ 
pointed  ;  no  tribute  of  thanksgiving  and  gratitude 
would  be  offered  to  his  name, — but  the  voice  of  pro¬ 
fanity  and  of  execration,  among  high  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  the  young  and  the  old,  in  every  social  in¬ 
tercourse  and  in  every  transaction,  would  resound 
throughout  all  lands.  No  motives  to  excite  to  moral 
action  would  be  derived  from  the  authority  and  the 
omnipresence  of  God,  and  from  a  consideration  of 
his  future  retributions ;  for  his  character  would  be 
reproached  and  his  authority  trampled  under  foot  by 
all  people.  “  They  would  set  their  mouths  against 
the  heavens  in  their  blasphemous  talk,”  and  would 
say,  “  How  doth  God  know,  and  is  there  knowledge 
in  the  Most  High  ?”  u  What  is  the  Almighty  that 
wre  should  serve  him  ;  and  what  profit  shall  we  have 
if  we  pray  unto  him  ?”  <s  Tiie  Lord  doth  not  see, 
neither  doth  the  God  of  Jacob  regard  us.”  His 
wonderful  works  would  either  be  overlooked,  or 
treated  with  contempt,  or  ascribed  to  the  blind  opera¬ 
tion  of  chance  or  of  fate.  They  would  be  repre¬ 
sented  as  accomplishing  no  end,  as  displaying  no 
wisdom,  and  as  controlled  by  no  intelligent  agency. 
Their  apparent  irregularities  and  defects  would  be 
magnified,  and  expatiated  upon  with  diabolical  de¬ 
light;  while  the  glorious  evidences  they  exhibit  of 


300 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


infinite  wisdom  and  beneficence,  would  be  thrown 
completely  into  the  shade.  The  dispensations  of 
his  Providence  would  be  viewed  as  an  inextricable 
maze,  without  order  or  design,  directed  by  chance, 
and  by  the  ever- varying  caprice  of  human  beings. 
His  venerable  word  would  universally  become  the 
subject  of  merriment  and  laughter — a  topic  for  the 
exercise  of  ribaldry  and  ridicule,  and  a  theme  for  en¬ 
livening  the  unhallowed  song  of  the  drunkard.  The 
most  solemn  scenes  which  it  displays,  and  its  most 
joyful  and  alarming  declarations,  would  be  equally 
treated  with  levity  and  contempt. — Such  are  some 
of  the  impious  practices  which  would  follow,  if  the 
name  of  Jehovah  were  universally  profaned.  The 
very  name  of  religion  would  be  blotted  out  from  the 
earth,  its  forms  abolished,  its  sanctions  disregarded, 
its  laws  violated,  virtue  and  piety  annihilated,  the 
floodgates  of  every  evil  burst  open,  and  moral  order 
entirely  subverted. 

On  the  other  hand,  universal  reverence  of  the 
name  and  character  of  God  would  lead  to  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  all  the  duties  of  piety  and  morality.  The 
Most  High  would  be  recognised  with  sentiments  of 
veneration  at  all  times,  and  the  silent  adorations  of 
the  heart  would  flow  out  towards  him  in  all  places; 
in  the  house  and  in  the  street,  in  the  bosom  of  the 
forest  and  in  the  fertile  plain,  in  the  city  and  in 
the  wilderness,  under  the  shades  of  night  and  amidst 
the  splendours  of  day.  In  every  place,  temples 
would  be  erected  for  his  worship,  hallelujahs  of  praise 
would  ascend,  and  <f  incense  and  a  pure  offering”  be 
presented  to  his  name.  With  reverence  and  godly 
fear,  and  with  expansive  views  of  his  magnificence 


RELIGIOUS  VENERATION. 


301 


and  glory,  would  his  worshippers  approach  him  in 
prayer,  in  praise,  in  contemplation,  and  in  all  the 
services  of  his  sanctuary.  The  whole  earth  would 
be  consecrated  as  one  grand  temple,  from  which  a 
grateful  homage  would  ascend  from  the  hearts  and 
the  lips  of  millions  of  devout  worshippers,  in  all 
places,  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun.  In  the 
domestic  circle,  in  the  convivial  meeting,  in  the 
streets,  in  (t  the  high  places  of  the  city,”  in  the  public 
walks,  in  the  councils  of  nations,  and  in  every  other 
intercourse  of  human  beings,  the  name  of  God  would 
never  be  mentioned,  nor  his  character  alluded  to,  but 
with  feelings  of  profound  and  reverential  awe.  His 
works  would  be  contemplated  with  admiration  and 
gratitude,  as  proclaiming  the  glory  of  his  kingdom, 
the  depths  of  his  wisdom,  and  the  extent  of  his  power. 
His  mighty  movements  among  the  nations  would  be 
regarded  with  submission  and  reverence,  as  accom¬ 
plishing  the  eternal  purposes  of  his  will ;  and  his 
holy  word  would  be  perused  by  all  classes  of  men, 
with  affection  and  delight,  as  the  oracle  which  pro¬ 
claims  the  glories  of  his  nature,  the  excellence  of  his 
laws,  the  blessings  of  his  salvation,  and  the  path 
which  conducts  to  eternal  felicity  in  the  life  to  come. 
— Such  are  some  of  the  delightful  effects  which 
would  follow,  were  a  sentiment  of  profound  reverence 
to  pervade  the  whole  mass  of  human  beings;  and 
corresponding  sentiments  of  love  and  affection  for 
each  other,  would  be  the  necessary  and  unceasing 
accompaniments  of  respect  and  veneration  for  their 
common  Parent. 


302 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


THE  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Remember  the  Sabbath-day,  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days 
shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work :  but  the  seventh 
day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God,"  S)-c. 

This  commandment  obviously  enjoins  the  setting 
apart  of  one  day  in  seven,  as  a  day  of  rest  from 
worldly  labour,  and  as  a  portion  of  time  to  be  devoted 
to  the  devotional  exercises  of  religion,  and  particu¬ 
larly  to  the  public  worship  of  God.  It  was  given 
forth,  not  merely  to  display  the  Sovereignty  of  the 
Lawgiver;  but  to  promote  both  the  sensitive  and 
the  intellectual  enjoyment  of  man.  C{  The  Sabbath,” 
says  our  Saviour,  “  was  madej^r  man ,  and  not  man 
for  the  Sabbath.” 

It  was  made  for  man,  in  the  first  place,  as  a  day 
of  rest.  In  this  point  of  view,  it  is  a  most  wise  and 
merciful  appointment,  especially  when  we  consider 
the  present  condition  of  mankind,  as  doomed  to  la¬ 
bour  and  toil,  and  to  the  endurance  of  many  sorrows. 
When  we  reflect  on  the  tyrannical  dispositions  which 
prevail  among  mankind,  on  the  powerful  influence 
of  avarice  over  the  human  mind,  and  on  the  almost 
total  absence  of  benevolence  and  compassion  towards 
suffering  humanity,  wherever  such  dispositions  pre¬ 
dominate,  we  cannot  but  admire  the  wisdom  and 
benevolence  of  tbe  Creator,  in  the  appointment  of  a 
weekly  jubilee  for  the  rest  and  refreshment  of  la¬ 
bourers  spent  with  toil.  On  this  day,  the  master 
has  an  opportunity  of  divesting  his  mind  of  wrorldly 
cares  and  anxieties ;  the  servant  of  obtaining  liberty 


INSTITUTION  OF  THE  SABBATH. 


303 


and  respite  from  his  toilsome  employments;  and  la¬ 
bourers  of  every  class,  of  enjoying  repose  in  the 
bosom  of  their  families.  Such,  however,  are  the 
avaricious  dispositions  and  the  contracted  views  of  a 
great  proportion  of  mankind,  that  they  are  apt  to 
regard  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  as  an  obstruc- 
tion  to  the  advancement  of  their  worldly  interests. 
They  will  calculate  how  much  labour  has  been  lost 
by  the  rest  of  one  day  in  seven,  and  how  much  wealth 
might  have  been  gained  had  the  Sabbath  not  inter¬ 
vened  to  interrupt  their  employments.  But  all  such 
selfish  calculations,  even  in  a  worldly  point  of  view, 
proceed  on  the  principles  of  a  narrow  and  short¬ 
sighted  policy.  We  know  by  experience,  that,  on 
the  six  days  out  of  seven  appointed  for  labour,  all 
the  operations  requisite  for  the  cultivation  of  the 
fields,  and  for  the  manufacture  of  every  useful  article 
for  the  comfort  of  mankind,  can  be  performed  with 
ease,  and  without  the  least  injury  to  any  class  of 
men.  And  what  more  could  be  accomplished,  al¬ 
though  the  Sabbath  were  converted  into  a  day  of 
labour?  Were  this  violation  of  the  divine  command 
to  become  universal,  it  might  be  shown,  that  instead 
of  producing  an  increase  of  wealth,  it  would  infallibly 
produce  an  increase  of  toil  and  misery  in  relation  to 
the  great  mass  of  mankind,  without  any  correspond¬ 
ing  pecuniary  compensation.  The  labouring  class 
at  present  receive  little  more  wages  than  is  barely 
sufficient  to  procure  the  necessaries  of  life.  If  their 
physical  strength  would  permit  them  to  work  eighteen 
hours  a-day  instead  of  twelve,  it  is  beyond  a  doubt, 
that,  in  a  very  short  time,  the  work  of  eighteen  hours 
would  be  demanded  by  their  employers  for  the  price 


304 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  twelve, — particularly  in  all  cases  where  a  sufficient 
number  of  labourers  can  be  easily  obtained.  In  like 
manner,  were  the  Sabbath  to  be  used  as  a  day  of 
labour,  the  wages  of  seven  days  would  soon  be  re¬ 
duced  to  what  is  now  given  for  the  labour  of  six.  In 
the  first  instance,  indeed,  before  such  a  change  was 
thoroughly  effected,  the  labouring  part  of  the  commu¬ 
nity  would  acquire  a  seventh  part  more  wages  every 
week  than  they  did  before ;  and  men  unaccustomed 
to  reflection,  and  who  never  look  beyond  a  present 
temporary  advantage,  would  imagine  that  they  had 
acquired  a  new  resource  for  increasing  their  worldly 
gain.  But  in  a  very  short  time,  when  the  affairs  of 
the  social  state  were  brought  to  a  certain  equilibrium, 
they  would  be  miserably  undeceived ;  and  the  aboli¬ 
tion  of  the  Sabbath,  instead  of  bringing  along  with 
it  an  increase  of  wealth,  would  carry  in  its  train  an 
increase  of  labour, — a  continued  series  of  toilsome 
and  unremitting  exertions,  which  would  waste  their 
animal  powers,  cut  short  the  years  of  their  mortal 
existence,  t£  make  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  bond¬ 
age,”  and  deprive  them  of  some  of  the  sweetest  en¬ 
joyments  which  they  now  possess. 

And  as  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  for  the  rest  of 
man,  so  it  was  also  intended  as  a  season  of  repose 
for  the  inferior  animals  which  labour  for  our  profit. 
“  The  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy 
God:  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor 
thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cat¬ 
tle,  nor  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.”  This 
injunction  exhibits  the  compassionate  care  and  ten¬ 
derness  of  the  Creator  in  a  very  amiable  and  im¬ 
pressive  point  of  view.  It  shows  us,  that  the  enjoy- 


INSTITUTION  OF  THE  SABBATH. 


305 


ments  of  the  lowest  ranks  of  sensitive  existence  are 
not  beneath  his  notice  and  regard.  As  he  knew 
what  degree  of  relaxation  was  necessary  for  the  com¬ 
fort  of  the  labouring  animals,  and  as  he  foresaw  that 
the  avarice  and  cruelty  of  man  would  endeavour  to 
deprive  them  of  their  due  repose,  so  he  has  secured 
to  them,  by  a  law  which  is  to  continue  in  force  so  long 
as  the  earth  endures,  the  rest  of  one  day  in  seven, 
in  common  with  their  proprietors  and  superiors.  And 
this  privilege  they  will  undoubtedly  enjoy  hereafter, 
in  a  more  eminent  degree  than  they  have  yet  done, 
when  man  himself  shall  be  induced  to  pay  a  more 
cordial  and  unreserved  obedience  to  this  divine  pre¬ 
cept, — when  “  he  shall  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight, 
and  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honourable.” 

Again,  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  for  man  as  a 
season  for  pious  recollection ,  and  religious  contem¬ 
plation.  <£  Remember  the  Sabbath-day,  to  keep  it 
holy.,>  Amidst  the  numerous  cares  and  laborious 
employments  of  human  life,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  the 
mind,  for  any  length  of  time,  on  the  divine  glory,  as 
displayed  in  the  works  of  creation,  on  the  important 
facts  and  doctrines  of  revealed  religion,  and  on  the 
grand  realities  of  the  life  to  come.  And  therefore, 
if  the  labouring  classes  enjoyed  no  regular  season  of 
repose  for  serious  reflection  and  religious  instruc¬ 
tion,  the  objects  of  religion  would  soon  be  entirely 
neglected,  and  the  impression  of  a  future  world  eva¬ 
nish  from  the  mind.  But  in  the  wise  arrangements 
of  the  Creator,  an  opportunity  is  afforded  to  all  ranks 
of  men  for  cultivating  their  moral  and  intellectual 
powers,  and  for  directing  them  to  the  study  and 
contemplation  of  the  most  glorious  and  interesting 


306 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


objects.  As  the  Sabbath  was  originally  instituted 
as  a  sacred  memorial  of  the  finishing  of  the  work  of 
creation,  so  it  is  obvious  that  the  contemplation  of 
the  fabric  of  the  universe,  and  of  the  perfections  of 
its  Almighty  Author  therein  displayed,  ought  to 
form  one  part  of  the  exercises  of  this  holy  day ;  and 
consequently,  that  illustrations  of  this  subject  ought 
to  be  frequently  brought  before  the  view  of  the  mind 
in  those  discourses  which  are  delivered  in  the  as¬ 
semblies  of  the  saints.  Since  the  references  to  this 
subject,  throughout  the  whole  of  divine  revelation, 
are  so  frequent  and  explicit,  it  is  evident  that  the 
Creator  intended  that  this  amazing  work  should  be 
contemplated  with  admiration,  and  make  a  deep  and 
reverential  impression  upon  every  mind.  To  call  to 
remembrance  a  period  when  there  was  no  terraqueous 
globe,  no  sun,  nor  moon,  nor  planets,  nor  starry  fir¬ 
mament,  when  darkness  and  inanity  reigned  through¬ 
out  the  infinite  void — to  listen  to  the  voice  of  God 
resounding  through  the  regions  of  boundless  space, 
“  Let  there  be  light;  and  light  was” — to  be¬ 
hold  ten  thousands  of  spacious  suns  instantly  lighted 
up  at  his  command — to  trace  the  mighty  masses  of 
the  planetary  worlds  projected  from  the  hand  of 
Omnipotence,  and  running  their  ample  circuits  with 
a  rapidity  which  overwhelms  our  conceptions — to 
contemplate  the  globe  on  which  we  stand,  emerging 
from  darkness  and  confusion  to  light  and  order; 
adorned  with  diversified  scenes  of  beauty  and  su¬ 
blimity,  with  mountains  and  plains,  with  rivers,  seas, 
and  oceans,  and  with  every  variety  of  shade  and 
colour ;  cheered  with  the  melody  of  the  feathered 
songsters,  and  with  the  voice  of  man,  the  image  of 


SABBATICAL  EXERCISES. 


307 


Lis  Maker,  where  a  little  before  eternal  silence  had 
prevailed — to  reflect  on  the  Almighty  energy,  the 
boundless  intelligence,  and  the  overflowing  benefi¬ 
cence,  displayed  in  this  amazing  scene, — has  a  ten¬ 
dency  to  expand  the  faculties  of  the  human  mind, 
and  to  excite  emotions  of  reverence  towards  the  om¬ 
nipotent  Creator.  This  is  a  work  which  Jehovah 
evidently  intended  to  be  held  in  everlasting  remem¬ 
brance  by  man  on  earth,  and  by  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  heavenly  regions.  It  is  the  mirror  of  the 
Deity,  and  the  natural  image  of  the  invisible  God  ; 
and  it  forms  the  groundwork  of  all  those  moral  dis¬ 
pensations  towards  his  intelligent  offspring,  which 
will  run  parallel  with  eternity  itself.  And  therefore, 
to  overlook  this  subject  in  the  exercises  of  the  Sab¬ 
bath,  is  to  throw  a  veil  over  the  glories  of  the  Deity, 
to  disregard  the  admonitions  of  his  word,  and  to 
contemn  one  of  the  most  magnificent,  and  astonishing 
displays  of  Divine  perfection.  “  By  the  word  of 
Jehovah  were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of 
them  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth.  He  gathereth 
the  waters  of  the  sea  together  as  an  heap,  he  layeth 
up  the  depth  in  storehouses.  Let  all  the  earth  fear 
the  Lord;  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand 
in  awe  of  him.  For  he  spake,  and  it  was  done;  he 
commanded,  and  it  stood  fast.” 

This  is  a  command  which  never  was  abrogated, 
and  which  never  can  be  abrogated,  in  relation  to  any 
intelligent  beings,  so  long  as  the  Creator  exists,  and 
so  long  as  the  universe  remains  as  a  memorial  of  his 
power  and  intelligence.  Those  sacred  songs  which 
are  recorded  in  Scripture  for  directing  the  train  of 
our  devotional  exercises,  are  full  of  this  subject,  and 


308 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


contain  specimens  of  elevated  sentiment  and  of  su¬ 
blime  devotion,  incomparably  superior  to  what  is  to  be 
found  in  any  other  record,  whether  ancient  or  mo¬ 
dern.*  But  man,  whose  unhallowed  hand  degrades 
every  portion  of  revelation  which  he  attempts  to  im¬ 
prove,  has  either  endeavoured  to  set  aside  the  literal 
and  sublime  references  of  these  divine  compositions, 
or  to  substitute  in  their  place  the  vague  and  extra¬ 
vagant  fancies  of  injudicious  minds,  for  directing  the 
devotional  exercises  of  Christian  churches. f  As  the 


*  See  particularly  Psalms  8,  18,  19,  29,  33,  65,  66,  68,  74, 
89,  92,  93,  94,  95,  96,  100,  104,  107,  111,  135,  136,  139,  145, 
146,  147,  148,  &c.  &c. 

f  I  here  allude  to  several  collections  of  Hymns,  which  have 
been  introduced  into  the  public  worship  of  Christian  societies — 
many  of  which  contain  a  number  of  vague  and  injudicious  senti¬ 
ments  and  extravagant  fancies,  while  they  entirely  omit  many  of 
those  subjects  on  which  the  inspired  writers  delight  to  expatiate. 
This  position  could  easily  be  illustrated  by  abundance  of  exam¬ 
ples,  were  it  expedient  in  this  place.  I  am  firmly  of  opinion,  that 
the  praises  of  the  Christian  Church  ought  to  be  celebrated  in 
Scripture  language — that  selections  for  this  purpose  should  be 
made  from  the  book  of  Psalms,  the  Prophets,  and  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament  writers,  which  shall  embody  every  sentiment  expressed 
in  the  original,  without  gloss  or  comment,  and  be  as  nearly  as 
possible  in  the  very  words  of  Scripture.  This  has  been  partly 
effected  in  many  of  the  psalms  contained  in  the  metrical  version 
used  in  the  Scottish  Church,  in  which  simplicity,  and  sublimity, 
and  a  strict  adherence  to  the  original,  are  beautifully  exemplified. 
In  this  case  there  would  be  no  need  for  a  separate  hymn-book  for 
Baptists,  Methodists,  Independents,  Presbyterians,  and  Episco¬ 
palians.  But,  when  a  poet  takes  an  insulated  passage  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  and  spins  out  a  dozen  stanzas  about  it,  he  may  interweave, 
and  most  frequently  does,  as  many  fancies  of  his  own  as  he  pleases. 
Were  the  ideas  contained  in  certain  hymns  to  be  painted  on  can¬ 
vass,  they  would  represent,  either  a  congeries  of  clouds  and  mists, 
or  a  group  of  distorted  and  unnatural  objects.  And  why  should 
such  vague  fancies  and  injudicious  representations  be  imposed  on 
a  Christian  assembly?  What  a  disgrace  is  thrown  upon  Chris¬ 
tianity,  when  the  different  sects  of  Christians  cannot  cordially 
join  together  in  the  same  songs  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  to  their 
common  Father  and  Lord ! 


SABBATICAL  EXERCISES. 


309 


book  of  God  is  the  only  correct  standard  of  religious 
worship,  so  our  devotional  exercises,  both  in  public 
and  private,  ought  to  be  chiefly,  if  not  solely  directed 
by  the  examples  of  devotion  contained  in  the  in¬ 
spired  writings,  which  are  calculated  to  regulate  and 
enliven  the  pious  exercises  of  men  of  every  age  and 
of  every  clime. 

But  the  celebration  of  the  work  of  creation  is 
not  the  only,  nor  the  principal  exercise  to  which  we 
are  called  on  the  Christian  Sabbath.  Had  man  con¬ 
tinued  in  primeval  innocence,  this  would  probably 
have  constituted  his  chief  employment.  But  he  is 
now  called  to  celebrate,  in  conjunction  with  this  exer¬ 
cise,  a  most  glorious  deliverance  from  sin  and  misery, 
effected  by  the  Redeemer  of  mankind.  And  for  this 
reason  the  Sabbath  has  been  changed  from  the  seventh 
to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  in  memorial  of  the  re¬ 
surrection  of  Christ,  when  he  was  “  declared  to  be 
the  Son  of  God  with  power.”  In  this  deliverance, 
as  in  the  first  creation,  a  variety  of  the  grandest  and 
most  interesting  objects  is  presented  to  our  view: — 
The  Son  of  God  manifested  in  the  flesh — the 
moral  image  of  the  invisible  Creator  embodied  in  a 
human  form,  displaying  every  heavenly  disposition, 
and  every  divine  virtue,  performing  a  series  of  the 
most  astonishing  and  beneficent  miracles,  giving 
sight  to  the  blind,  and  hearing  to  the  deaf,  making 
the  lame  man  to  leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of 
the  dumb  to  sing,  restoring  the  infuriated  maniac  to 
the  exercise  of  reason,  commanding  diseases  to  fly  at 
the  signal  of  a  touch,  recalling  departed  spirits  from 
the  invisible  world,  raising  the  dead  to  life,  and,  on 
every  occasion,  imparting  heavenly  instructions  to 


310 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


attending  multitudes.  We  behold  this  illustrious 
Personage  suspended  on  the  cross,  encompassed  with 
the  waters  of  affliction,  and  the  agonies  of  death — 
the  veil  of  the  temple  rent  in  twain,  from  the  top  to 
the  bottom — the  rocks  of  mount  Calvary  rent  asun¬ 
der — the  sun  covered  with  blackness — darkness  sur¬ 
rounding  the  whole  land  of  Judea — the  graves  open¬ 
ing — the  dead  arising,  and  the  Prince  of  Life  con¬ 
signed  to  the  mansions  of  the  tomb.  On  the  third 
morning  after  this  solemn  scene,  “  a  great  earthquake” 
having  shaken  the  sepulchre  of  the  Saviour,  we  be¬ 
hold  him  bursting  the  prison-doors  of  the  tomb,  and 
awakening  to  a  new  life  which  shall  never  end — we 
behold  messengers,  in  resplendent  forms,  descending 
from  the  ethereal  regions  to  announce  to  his  discon- 
solate  disciples,  that  he  who  was  dead  “  is  alive,  and 
lives  for  evermore” — we  behold  him,  at  length,  be¬ 
stowing  his  last  benediction  on  his  faithful  followers, 
rising  above  the  confines  of  this  earthly  ball,  winging 
his  way  on  a  resplendent  cloud,  attended  by  myriads 
of  angels,  through  distant  regions,  which  <c  eye  hath 
not  seen  ;”  and  entering  <£  into  heaven  itself,  there  to 
appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us.”  In  the  re¬ 
demption  achieved  by  this  glorious  Person,  we  are 
directed  to  look  back  on  that  scene  of  misery  in  which 
sin  has  involved  the  human  race,  and  to  those  “  re¬ 
gions  of  sorrow  and  doleful  shades”  from  which  his 
mercy  has  delivered  us;  and  to  look  forward  to  a 
complete  deliverance  from  moral  evil,  to  a  resurrec¬ 
tion  from  the  grave,  to  a  general  assembly  of  the 
whole  race  of  Adam,  to  the  destruction  and  renova¬ 
tion  of  the  globe  on  which  we  dwell,  and  to  the  en¬ 
joyment  of  uninterrupted  felicity  in  brighter  regions, 


SABBATICAL  EXERCISES. 


Sll 


while  countless  ages  roll  away. — Such  are  some  of 
the  sublime  and  interesting  objects  which  we  arc 
called  upon  to  contemplate  on  the  day  appointed  for 
the  Christian  Sabbath — objects  which  have  a  ten¬ 
dency  to  inspire  the  mind  with  sacred  joy,  and  with 
an  anticipation  of  nobler  employments  in  the  life  to 
come. 

Again,  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  as  a  stated 
season  for  the  public  worship  of  Gocl.  As  man¬ 
kind  are  connected  by  innumerable  ties,  as  they 
are  subject  to  the  same  wants  and  infirmities,  are 
exposed  to  the  same  sorrows  and  afflictions,  and 
stand  in  need  of  the  same  blessings  from  God, — it 
is  highly  reasonable  and  becoming  that  they  should 
frequently  meet  together,  to  offer  up  in  unison  their 
thanksgiving  and  praise  to  their  common  Benefac¬ 
tor,  and  to  supplicate  the  throne  of  his  mercy. 
These  exercises  are  connected  with  a  variety  of  in¬ 
teresting  and  important  associations.  In  the  public 
assemblies  where  religious  worship  is  performed,  “the 
rich  and  the  poor  meet  together.”  Within  the  same 
wTalls,  those  who  would  never  have  met  in  any  other 
circumstances,  are  placed  exactly  in  the  same  situa¬ 
tion  before  Him  in  whose  presence  all  earthly  dis¬ 
tinctions  evanish,  and  who  is  “  the  Maker  of  them 
all.”  Here,  pride  and  haughtiness  are  abased  ;  all 
are  placed  on  the  same  level,  as  sinners  before  Him 
“  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity the 
loftiness  of  man  is  humbled,  the  poor  are  raised  from 
the  dust,  and  the  Lord  alone  is  exalted  in  the  courts 
of  his  holiness.  Here,  cleanliness  and  decency  of 
apparel  are  to  be  seen,  and  human  nature  appears 


312 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


both  in  its  physical  and  its  moral  grandeur.*  Here, 
civility  of  deportment  and  kindly  affections  are  gen¬ 
erally  displayed.  Here,  we  feel  ourselves  in  the  im¬ 
mediate  presence  of  Him  before  whom  all  nations  are 
as  the  drop  of  a  bucket :  we  feel  our  guilty  and  de¬ 
pendent  character,  and  stand  as  suppliants  for  mercy 
to  pardon,  and  for  grace  to  help  us  in  the  time  of  need. 
Here,  knowledge  of  the  most  important  kind  is  com¬ 
municated  to  assembled  multitudes,  almost  “  with¬ 
out  money  and  without  price.”  Here,  the  poorest 
beggar,  the  youth  and  the  man  of  hoary  hairs,  may 
learn  the  character  of  the  true  God,  and  of  Jesus 
Christ  whom  he  hath  sent — the  way  to  eternal  hap¬ 
piness — the  sources  of  consolation  under  the  afflic¬ 
tions  of  life — and  the  duties  they  owe  to  their  Crea¬ 
tor  and  to  all  mankind.  In  a  word,  here  the  sinner, 
in  the  midst  of  his  unhallowed  courses,  is  aroused  to 
consideration ;  and  here  the  saint  is  animated  and 
encouraged  in  his  Christian  journey,  and  enjoys  a 
foretaste  of  the  blessedness  of  heaven,  and  an  ear¬ 
nest  of  the  delightful  intercourses  and  employments 
of  “  the  saints  in  light.” 

Let  us  now  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  the  Sab¬ 
bath  and  its  exercises  were  universally  abolished  from 
the  civilized  world.  What  would  be  the  conse¬ 
quences  ?  The  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  which 
the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  more  than  any  other 


*  What  a  striking  contrast,  even  in  a  physical  point  of  view,  is 
presented  between  a  modern  assembly  of  Christian  worshippers, 
and  the  hideous  and  filthy  group  of  human  beings  that  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  kraal  of  a  Hottentot,  or  in  the  cave  of  a  New 
Hollander ! 


SABBATICAL  EXERCISES. 


313 


mean,  has  tended  to  perpetuate,  would  soon  be  lost, 
his  worship  abandoned,  and  religion  and  moral  prin¬ 
ciple  buried  in  the  dust.  In  Pagan  countries,  where 
the  Sabbath  is  unknown,  the  true  God  is  never 
adored,  the  soul  of  man  is  debased,  and  prostrates 
itself  before  the  sun  and  moon,  and  even  before  de¬ 
mons,  monsters,  insects,  reptiles,  and  blocks  of  wood 
and  stone.  In  France,  where  the  Sabbath  was  for 
a  season  abolished,  an  impious  phantom,  called  the 
Goddess  of  Reason,  was  substituted  in  the  room  of 
the  Eternal  God;  the  Bible  was  held  up  to  ridicule, 
and  committed  to  the  flames;  man  was  degraded  to 
the  level  of  the  brutes ;  his  mind  was  assimilated  to 
a  piece  of  clay,  and  the  cheering  prospects  of  immor¬ 
tality  were  transformed  into  the  shades  of  an  eternal 
night.  Atheism,  Scepticism,  and  Fatalism,  almost 
universally  prevailed;  the  laws  of  morality  were 
trampled  under  foot;  and  anarchy,  plots,  assassina¬ 
tions,  massacres,  and  legalized  plunder,  became  (( the 
order  of  the  day.” — With  the  loss  of  the  knowledge 
of  God,  all  impressions  of  the  divine  presence,  and 
all  sense  of  accountableness  for  human  actions,  would 
be  destroyed.  The  restraints  of  religion,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  future  judgment,  would  no  longer  de¬ 
ter  from  the  commission  of  crimes ;  and  nothing  but 
the  dread  of  the  dungeon,  the  gibbet,  or  the  rack, 
would  restrain  mankind  from  the  constant  perpetra¬ 
tion  of  injustice  and  deeds  of  violence.  No  social 
prayers  from  assembled  multitudes  would  be  offered 
up  to  the  Father  of  mercies;  no  voice  of  thanksgiv¬ 
ing  and  praise  would  ascend  to  the  Ruler  of  the 
skies;  the  work  of  creation,  as  displaying  the  perfec¬ 
tions  of  the  Deity,  would  cease  to  be  admired  and 
D.  2.  o 


314 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


commemorated;  and  the  movements  of  Providence, 
and  the  glories  of  redemption,  would  be  overlooked 
and  disregarded.  The  pursuit  of  the  objects  of 
time  and  sense,  which  can  be  enjoyed  only  for  a 
few  fleeting  years,  would  absorb  every  faculty  of  the 
soul;  and  the  realities  of  the  eternal  world  would 
either  be  forgotten,  or  regarded  as  idle  dreams.  In 
short,  were  the  Sabbath  abolished,  or  were  the  law 
which  enforces  its  observance  to  be  reversed,  man 
would  be  doomed  to  spend  his  mortal  existence  in 
an  unbroken  series  of  incessant  labour  and  toil;  his 
mental  powers  would  languish,  and  his  bodily  strength 
would  be  speedily  wasted.  Habits  of  cleanliness, 
civility  of  deportment,  and  decency  of  apparel,  would 
be  disregarded ;  and  the  persons  and  habitations  of 
the  labouring  classes  would  soon  resemble  the  filthi¬ 
ness  and  the  wretched  objects  which  are  seen  in  the 
kraal  of  a  Hottentot.  Their  minds  would  neither 
be  cheered  with  the  prospect  of  seasons  of  stated  re¬ 
pose  in  this  world,  nor  with  the  hope  of  eternal  rest 
and  joy  in  the  world  to  come. 

THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Honour  thy  Father  and  thy  Mother .” 

The  four  preceding  commandments,  whose  impor¬ 
tance  I  have  endeavoured  to  illustrate,  were  written 
on  a  separate  tablet  from  those  that  follow,  and  have 
been  generally  considered  as  enjoining  the  practice 
of  piety ,  or  those  duties  which  more  immediately 
respect  God  as  their  object.  But  they  also  include 
the  duties  we  owe  to  ourselves  ;  for  in  yielding  obe- 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


315 


dience  to  these  requirements,  we  promote  our  best 
interests  in  this  world,  and  are  gradually  prepared 
for  participating  in  the  enjoyments  of  the  world  to 
come.  These  laws  are  binding  upon  angels  and 
archangels,  and  upon  every  class  of  intelligent  be¬ 
ings,  in  whatever  quarter  of  the  universe  their  resi¬ 
dence  may  be  found,  as  well  as  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth.  The  fourth  commandment,  indeed,  in 
so  far  as  regards  the  particular  •portion  of  time  to  be 
set  apart  for  the  worship  of  God,  may  be  peculiar  to 
the  inhabitants  of  our  world.  Even  although  the 
inhabitants  of  such  a  world  as  the  planet  Jupiter  were 
commanded  to  set  apart  every  seventh  natural  day  for 
the  stated  public  worship  of  God,  the  proportion  of 
absolute  time  allotted  for  this  purpose  would  not  be 
the  same  as  ours;  for  the  natural  day  in  that  world 
is  equal  to  only  ten  hours  of  our  time.  But  the  spirit 
of  this  precept,  or  the  principle  on  which  it  is  founded, 
must  be  common  to  all  worlds.  For  we  can  conceive 
of  no  class  of  intelligent  creatures,  on  whom  it  is  not 
obligatory  to  devote  a  certain  portion  of  time  for  the 
social  worship  of  their  Creator,  and  for  commemo¬ 
rating  the  displays  of  his  Power  and  Benevolence  ; 
and  all  holy  intelligences  will  cheerfully  join  in  such 
exercises,  and  will  consider  it  as  a  most  ennobling  and 
delightful  privilege,  to  engage,  at  stated  seasons,  along 
with  their  fellow-worshippers,  in  adoring  the  Un¬ 
created  Source  of  their  enjoyments.  But  the  stated 
seasons  appointed  by  the  Creator  for  such  solemn 
acts  of  worship,  the  manner  and  circumstances  in 
which  they  shall  be  performed,  and  the  number  of 
worshippers  that  may  assemble  on  such  occasions, 

o  2 


316 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


may  be  different  in  different  worlds,  according  to  the 
situations  in  which  they  are  placed. 

The  fifth  commandment,  to  which  I  am  now  to 
advert,  is  one  of  those  moral  regulations  which  may 
possibly  be  peculiar  to  tbe  relations  which  exist  in 
our  world ;  at  least,  it  cannot  be  supposed  to  apply 
to  the  inhabitants  of  any  world  where  the  relations 
of  parents  and  children,  of  superiors  and  inferiors,  are 
altogether  unknown.  But,  in  the  circumstances  in 
which  man  is  placed,  it  is  a  law  indispensably  re¬ 
quisite  for  preserving  the  order  and  happiness  of  the 
social  system.  It  requires  the  exercise  of  those  dis¬ 
positions,  and  the  performance  of  those  duties,  which 
are  incumbent  upon  mankind,  in  the  various  relations 
in  ivhich  they  stand  to  each  other.  It  consequently 
includes,  within  its  spirit  and  references,  the  duties 
which  children  owe  to  their  parents,  and  parents  to 
their  children ;  the  duties  of  husbands  and  wives,  of 
masters  and  servants,  of  teachers  and  scholars,  of 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  of  governors  and  their  sub¬ 
jects;  together  with  all  those  dispositions  of  rever¬ 
ence,  submission,  affection,  gratitude,  and  respect, 
with  which  the  performance  of  these  duties  ought  to 
be  accompanied.  It  must  also  be  considered  as  for¬ 
bidding  every  thing  that  is  opposed  to  these  disposi¬ 
tions,  and  to  the  obedience  required — as,  contumacy, 
rebellion,  and  want  of  respect,  on  the  part  of  children 
towards  their  parents ;  disobedience  of  servants  to 
the  reasonable  commands  of  their  masters;  and  every 
principle  of  disaffection  and  of  insurbordination  among 
the  various  ranks  of  society.  That  all  this  is  included 
within  the  range  of  this  precept,  might  be  proved 
from  the  principles  on  which  our  Saviour  explains  the 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


317 


sixth  and  seventh  commandments,  in  his  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  and  from  the  illustrations  of  these  duties 
which  are  given  in  the  Apostolic  epistles,  and  in  other 
parts  of  Scripture. 

As  it  forms  no  part  of  my  plan  to  enter  into  any 
particular  explanations  of  the  duties  required  in  the 
Decalogue,  which  have  frequently  been  expounded 
by  many  respectable  writers,  in  works  appropriated 
to  this  object, — I  shall  simply  illustrate,  in  a  few 
words,  the  reasonableness  of  this  and  the  following 
precepts,  from  a  consideration  of  the  effects  which 
would  follow,  were  these  laws  either  universally  ob¬ 
served,  or  universally  violated. 

Were  this  law  to  be  reversed,  or  universally  vio¬ 
lated,  it  is  impossible  to  form  an  adequate  concep¬ 
tion  of  the  dreadful  scene  of  anarchy  and  confusion 
which  would  immediately  ensue.  Every  social  tie 
would  be  torn  asunder,  every  relation  inverted,  every 
principle  of  subordination  destroyed,  every  govern¬ 
ment  overturned,  every  rank  and  order  of  mankind 
annihilated,  and  the  whole  assembly  of  human  beings 
converted  into  a  discordant  mass  of  lawless  banditti. 
Every  family  would  present  a  scene  of  riot,  insub¬ 
ordination,  contention,  hatred,  tumult,  and  incessant 
execration.  Instead  of  love,  unity,  and  obedience, 
the  son  would  rise  in  rebellion  against  his  father,  and 
the  father  would  insult  and  trample  under  foot  his 
son.  To  use  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  “  the  bro¬ 
ther  would  deliver  up  the  brother  to  death,  and  the 
father  the  child ;  the  children  would  rise  up  against 
their  parents,  and  cause  them  to  be  put  to  death  ;  the 
daughter  would  be  set  at  variance  against  her  mother ; 
the  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother-in-law ;  and 


318 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


a  man’s  foes  would  be  they  of  his  own  household.” 
Children  would  be  unprovided  with  proper  food, 
clothing,  and  instruction,  and  left  to  wander,  house¬ 
less  and  forlorn,  as  vagabonds  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  ;  and  parents,  abandoned  by  their  children,  in 
sickness,  poverty,  and  old  age,  would  sink  into  the 
grave  in  wretchedness  and  despair.  The  young,  in¬ 
stead  of  {t  rising  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  hon¬ 
ouring  the  face  of  the  old  man,”  would  treat  the  aged 
and  infirm  with  every  mark  of  derision  and  contempt ; 
and  would  feel  a  diabolical  delight  in  thwarting  and 

O  o 

overpowering  their  superiors  in  age  and  station.  No 
instructions  could  be  communicated  by  teachers  and 
guardians  to  the  rising  generation ;  for  riot,  insolence, 
and  contempt,  would  frustrate  every  effort  to  com¬ 
municate  knowledge  to  a  youthful  group.  No  build¬ 
ing  nor  other  work  of  art  could  be  commenced  with 
the  certain  prospect  of  being  ever  finished;  for  its 
progress  would  depend  upon  the  whims  and  humours 
of  the  workmen  employed,  who,  of  course,  would  re¬ 
joice  in  endeavouring  to  frustrate  the  plans  and  wishes 
of  their  employers.  No  regular  government  nor  sub¬ 
ordination  in  a  large  community  could  possibly  exist ; 
for  the  great  mass  of  society  would  endeavour  to  pro¬ 
tect  every  delinquent,  and  would  form  themselves 
into  a  league  to  prevent  the  execution  of  the  laws. 
These  effects  would  inevitably  follow,  even  although 
the  requisition  contained  in  this  precept  were  to  be 
viewed  as  confined  solely  to  the  reverence  and  obe¬ 
dience  which  children  owe  to  their  parents.  For, 
were  this  obedience  withdrawn,  and  an  opposite  dis¬ 
position  and  conduct  uniformly  manifested,  the  young 
would  carry  the  same  dispositions  which  they  dis- 


IMPORTANCE  OF  RELATIVE  DUTIES.  319 


played  towards  their  parents,  into  all  the  other  scenes 
and  relations  of  life,  and  fill  the  world  with  anarchy 
and  confusion. — But  it  would  be  needless  to  expa¬ 
tiate  on  this  topic,  as  it  appears  obvious  to  the  least 
reflecting  mind,  that  a  universal  violation  of  this  law 
would  unhinge  the  whole  fabric  of  society,  and  would 
soon  put  an  end  to  the  harmonious  intercourse  of 
human  beings. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  constant  and  universal 
obedience  to  this  precept  would  produce  such  effects 
on  the  deformed  aspect  of  our  world,  as  would  trans¬ 
form  it  into  a  paradise  of  moral  beauty,  of  happiness 
and  love.  Every  family  would  exhibit  a  picture  of 
peace  and  concord,  of  harmony  and  affection.  No 
harsh  and  bitter  language,  no  strifes,  nor  jars,  nor 
contentions,  would  ever  interrupt  the  delightful  flow 
of  reciprocal  affection  between  parents  and  children. 
No  longer  should  we  behold  the  little  perverse  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  domestic  circle,  indulging  their  sulky 
humours,  and  endeavouring  to  thwart  the  wishes  of 
their  superiors,  nor  the  infuriated  parent  stamping 
and  raging  at  the  obstinacy  of  his  children ;  nor 
should  we  hear  the  grating  sounds  of  discord  and 
insubordination  which  now  so  frequently  issue  from 
the  family  mansion.  Every  parental  command  would 
be  cheerfully  and  promptly  obeyed.  Reverence  and 
filial  affection  would  glow  in  every  youthful  breast 
towards  his  father,  and  towards  the  mother  that  gave 
him  birth.  Their  persons  and  characters  would  be 
regarded  with  veneration  and  respect,  and  their  ad¬ 
monitions  submitted  to  without  a  murmur  or  com¬ 
plaint.  To  gladden  the  hearts  of  their  parents,  to 
run  at  the  least  signal  of  their  will,  to  share  in  their 


320 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


benignant  smile  of  approbation,  and  to  avoid  every 
species  of  conduct  that  would  produce  the  least  un¬ 
easiness  or  pain — would  be  the  unceasing  aim  of  all 
the  youthful  members  of  the  family  circle.  In  sick¬ 
ness,  they  wouldsmooththeirpillows  and  alleviate  their 
sorrows,  watch  like  guardian  angels  around  their  bed, 
drop  the  tear  of  affection,  and  pour  the  balm  of  con¬ 
solation  into  their  wounded  spirits.  In  the  decline 
of  life,  they  would  minister  with  tenderness  to  their 
support  and  enjoyment,  guide  their  feeble  steps, 
sympathize  with  them  in  their  infirmities,  cheer  and 
animate  their  dejected  spirits,  and  render  their  pas¬ 
sage  to  the  tomb  smooth  and  comfortable.  And 
how  delighted  would  every  parent  feel  amidst  such 
displays  of  tenderness  and  affection  !  There  is  per¬ 
haps  nothing  in  the  whole  range  of  human  enjoy¬ 
ment  that  creates  a  higher  and  more  unmingled 
gratification  to  parents,  than  the  dutiful  and  affec¬ 
tionate  conduct  of  their  offspring.  It  sweetens  the 
bitter  ingredients  of  human  life,  and  adds  a  relish  to 
all  its  other  comforts  and  enjoyments.  It  imparts  a 
continual  satisfaction  and  serenity  to  the  parental 
breast;  it  smooths  the  wrinkles  of  age;  it  cheers  the 
spirits  under  the  infirmities  of  declining  nature,  and 
makes  the  dying  bed  of  old  age  comfortable  and  easy. 
And  the  joy  and  satisfaction  thus  felt  by  parents 
would  be  reflected  into  the  bosom  of  their  children ; 
which  would  produce  a  union  of  interests,  a  cordiality 
of  affection,  and  a  tranquillity  of  mind  in  every  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  family,  which  no  adverse  occurrence  in 
future  life  could  ever  effectually  destroy. 

From  the  family  circle,  the  emanations  of  filial  piety 
would  diffuse  themselves  through  all  the  other  de- 


IMPORTANCE  OF  RELATIVE  DUTIES. 


321 


partments  of  society.  The  same  spirit  of  love  and 
dutiful  respect  which  united  and  endeared  parents  to 
children,  and  children  to  parents,  would  unite  one 
family  to  another,  one  village  to  another,  one  city  to 
another,  one  province  to  another,  one  kingdom  and 
empire  to  another,  till  all  the  tribes  of  the  human 
race  were  united  in  affection,  as  one  great  and  har¬ 
monious  family.  Every  dutiful  child  would  become 
a  faithful  and  obedient  servant,  a  docile  scholar,  and 
a  loyal  and  submissive  subject,  when  placed  in  those 
relations;  and  would  prove  a  blessing  and  an  orna¬ 
ment  to  every  society  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
And  every  dutiful  and  affectionate  parent,  when 
placed  in  the  station  of  a  king,  or  a  subordinate  ruler, 
would  display  a  parental  affection  towards  every 
member  of  the  community  over  which  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed.  Hence  it  might  easily  be  shown,  that  an 
uninterrupted  and  universal  observance  of  this  single 
precept,  viewed  in  all  its  connections  and  bearings, 
would  completely  regenerate  the  world — and  that 
the  peace,  the  harmony,  and  the  prosperity  of  all  na¬ 
tions,  will  ultimately  depend  on  the  spirit  of  filial 
piety  being  infused  into  every  family.  (i  Honour 
thy  father  and  thy  mother,”  says  the  Apostle, 
“  which  is  the  first  commandment  with  promise; 
that  it  may  be  well  with  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest 
live  long  upon  the  earth.”  These  words,  which  are 
frequently  repeated  in  Scripture,  are  not  empty 
sounds ;  nor  ought  they  to  be  deprived,  even  under 
the  Christian  dispensation,  of  their  obvious  and 
literal  meaning.  Filial  piety  has  a  natural  tendency 
to  produce  health,  long  life,  and  prosperity ;  and 
could  we  trace  the  whole  of  the  secret  history  of 

o  3 


322 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Providence  in  reference  to  this  precept,  we  should 
doubtless  find  this  position  abundantly  exemplified. 
At  any  rate,  were  it  universally  practised,  it  would 
carry  along  with  it  a  train  of  blessings  which  would 
convert  the  tumults  and  convulsions  of  nations  into 
peace  and  tranquillity,  and  transform  the  moral  wil¬ 
derness  of  this  world  into  a  scene  of  beauty  and 
loveliness,  which  would  enrapture  the  mind  of  every 
moral  intelligence;  and  among  its  other  benefits, 
££  length  of  days,  and  long  life  and  peace,”  would 
undoubtedly  ££  be  added”  to  the  other  enjoyments  of 
mankind. 

THE  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT. 
u  Thou  shalt  not  kill.” 

This  precept  forbids  the  taking  away  of  the  life 
of  any  sensitive  or  intelligent  existence.  The  com¬ 
mand  is  absolute,  without  the  least  exception,  as  it 
stands  in  the  Decalogue ;  and  it  is  universal,  extend¬ 
ing  to  every  rational  and  moral  agent.  It  implies 
that,  as  every  sensitive  and  every  intelligent  being 
derived  its  existence  from  the  Omnipotent  Creator, 
no  one  has  a  right  to  deprive  it  of  that  existence, 
except  the  Being  by  whom  it  was  bestowed.  And 
whatever  exceptions  to  the  universality  of  this  law 
may  be  admitted,  they  can  be  admitted  only  on  the 
authority  of  the  Lawgiver  himself,  who  is  the  Original 
Fountain  of  existence  to  all  creatures.  The  prin¬ 
cipal  exceptions  to  this  law  are  the  following : — 
1.  The  man  who  has  violently  taken  away  the  life  of 
another,  is  commanded,  by  the  authority  of  God,  to  be 


LAW  IN  RELATION  TO  MURDER. 


323 


put  to  death  :  “  Whoso  sheddeth  man’s  blood,  by 
man  shall  his  blood  be  shed.”  This  is  the  dictate 
of  reason  as  well  as  of  revelation ;  for  no  human 
power  can  recall  the  departed  spirit,  or  reanimate  the 
lifeless  corpse,  and  no  adequate  compensation  can  ever 
be  given  for  such  a  crime.*  2.  The  life  of  the 
lower  animals  is  permitted  by  the  same  authority  to 
be  taken  away,  when  these  animals  are  necessary  for 
our  food,  or  when  they  endanger  our  existence.  This 
permission  was  first  granted,  immediately  after  the 
flood,  to  Noah  and  his  descendants :  “  God  said  to 
Noah  and  his  sons,  Every  thing  that  moveth  shall 
be  meat  for  you  ;  even  as  the  green  herb  have  I 
given  you  all  things.”  Without  such  a  positive 
grant  from  the  Creator,  man  could  have  had  no  more 
right  to  take  away  the  life  of  an  ox  or  a  sheep,  than 
he  has  to  imbrue  his  hands  in  the  blood,  or  to  feast 
on  the  flesh,  of  his  fellow-men.  To  take  the  life  of 
any  sensitive  being,  and  to  feed  on  its  flesh,  appears 
incompatible  with  a  state  of  innocence ;  and  there¬ 
fore,  no  such  grant  was  given  to  Adam  in  paradise  ; 
nor  does  it  appear  that  the  Antediluvians,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  enormous  crimes,  ever  feasted  on  the 
flesh  of  animals.  It  appears  to  have  been  a  grant 
suited  only  to  the  degraded  state  of  man  after  the 
deluge ;  and  it  is  probable,  that,  as  he  advances  in 


*  Notwithstanding  the  considerations  here  stated,  the  Author 
is  doubtful  whether  the  Creator  has  conceded  to  man  the  right  of 
taking  away  the  life  of  another,  even  in  the  case  of  murder.  If 
the  passage  here  quoted  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  prediction 
rather  than  a  law,  as  is  most  probable,  it  will  afford  no  warrant 
for  the  destruction  of  human  life;  and  there  is  no  other  injunction 
of  this  kind  which  has  any  relation  to  the  New  Testament  dis¬ 
pensation. 


324 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  scale  of  moral  perfection,  in  the  future  ages  of 
the  world,  the  use  of  animal  food  will  be  gradually 
laid  aside,  and  he  will  return  to  the  productions  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom,  as  the  original  food  of  man, 
and  as  that  which  is  best  suited  to  the  rank  of  a 
rational  and  moral  intelligence.  And,  perhaps,  it 
may  have  an  influence,  in  combination  with  other 
favourable  circumstances,  in  promoting  health  and 
longevity. — But  although  the  inferior  animals  are, 
in  the  meantime,  subjected  to  our  use,  no  permission 
is  granted  to  treat  them  with  harshness  or  cruelty, 
or  to  kill  them  for  the  sake  of  sport  and  amusement, 
And  therefore,  the  man  who  wantonly  takes  awray 
the  lives  of  birds,  hares,  fishes,  and  other  animals,  for 
the  mere  gratification  of  a  taste  for  hunting  or  fish¬ 
ing,  can  scarcely  be  exculpated  from  the  charge  of  a 
breach  of  this  commandment. 

The  above  are  the  principal  exceptions  which  the 
Creator  has  made  in  reference  to  the  law  under  con¬ 
sideration.  And  it  may  not  be  improper  to  remark, 
that,  besides  the  direct  act  of  murder,  every  thing 
that  leads  to  it,  or  that  has  a  tendency  to  endanger 
life,  is  to  be  considered  as  forbidden  in  this  command¬ 
ment.  All  unkindness  and  harsh  treatment  exer¬ 
cised  towards  servants,  dependants,  and  brute  animals, 
by  which  life  may  be  shortened  or  rendered  intoler¬ 
able — all  furious  and  revengeful  passions,  which  may 
lead  to  acts  of  violence — all  quarrelling,  fighting, 
and  boxing,  either  for  bets  or  for  the  gratification 
of  hatred  or  revenge — all  wishes  for  the  death  of 
others,  and  all  contrivances,  either  direct  or  indirect, 
to  compass  the  destruction  of  our  neighbour — all 
criminal  negligence  by  which  our  own  life,  or  the  life 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  HATRED.  325 

of  others,  may  be  endangered  or  destroyed — every 
species  of  drunkenness  arid  intemperance — and  all 
those  actions  by  which  murder  may  be  committed  as 
a  probable  effect,  as  the  burning  of  inhabited  houses, 
and  the  throwing  of  the  instruments  of  death  into 
the  midst  of  a  crowd — are  to  be  regarded  as  involv¬ 
ing  the  principle  of  murder,  as  well  as  the  direct  acts 
of  suicide,  duelling,  and  assassination  ;  and,  conse¬ 
quently,  as  violations  of  that  law  which  extends  to 
the  secret  purposes  of  the  heart,  as  well  as  to  the  ex¬ 
ternal  actions.  Even  unreasonable  anger,  malice,  and 
scurrility,  are  declared  by  our  Saviour  to  be  a  species 
of  murder:  “  Whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother 
without  a  cause,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment, 
and  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca”  that 
is,  thou  worthless  empty  fellow,  “  shall  be  in  danger 
of  the  council.”*  Life  is  desirable  only  as  it  is 
connected  with  enjoyment;  and  therefore,  when  a 
man  treats  his  brother  with  such  a  degree  of  hatred 
and  scurrility,  as  to  render  his  existence  either  un¬ 
pleasant  or  intolerable,  he  ought  to  be  ranked  among 
the  class  of  murderers.  For  the  Apostle  John  de¬ 
clares,  without  the  least  limitation,  that  “  whosoever 
hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer,  and  he  that  loveth 
not  his  brother,  abideth  in  death.”  And,  if  this 
criterion  be  admitted,  a  train  of  murderers  will  be 


*  Matth.  v.  22.  Christ,  in  this  passage,  refers  to  a  common 
court  among  the  Jews,  composed  of  twenty-three  men,  wherein 
capital  sentences  might  be  passed,  on  which  a  malefactor  might 
be  strangled  or  beheaded  :  this  was  called  the  Judgment.  But  the 
Sanhedrim,  or  Council,  was  the  supreme  Jewish  court,  consisting 
of  seventy-two;  in  which  the  highest  crimes  were  tried,  which 
they,  and  they  alone,  punished  with  stoning,  which  was  consi¬ 
dered  a  more  terrible  death  than  the  former. 


326 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


found  existing  in  society  far  more  numerous  than  is 
generally  supposed. 

It  would  be  needless  to  attempt  an  illustration  of 
the  consequences  which  would  ensue,  were  the  breach 
of  this  law  to  become  universal.  It  is  obvious,  on 
the  slightest  reflection,  that  were  this  to  happen, 
human  society  would  soon  cease  to  exist.  That 
prophecy  which  was  given  forth  respecting  Ishmael 
would  then  receive  a  most  terrible  accomplishment, 
in  the  case  of  every  human  agent :  “  His  hand  shall 
be  against  every  man,  and  every  man’s  hand  against 
him.”  Every  man  would  assume  the  character  of 
an  infernal  fiend;  every  lethal  weapon  would  be  pre¬ 
pared  and  furbished  for  slaughter;  every  peaceful 
pursuit  and  employment  would  be  abandoned;  the 
voice  of  wailing,  and  the  yells  of  fury  and  despair, 
would  be  heard  in  every  family,  in  every  village,  in 
every  city,  in  every  field,  in  every  kingdom,  and  in 
every  clime.  Every  house,  every  street,  every  val¬ 
ley,  every  forest,  every  river,  every  mountain,  and 
every  continent,  would  be  strewed  with  fearful  devas¬ 
tation,  and  with  the  mangled  carcases  of  the  slain. 
The  work  of  destruction  would  go  on  with  dreadful 
rapidity,  till  the  whole  race  of  man  were  extirpated 
from  the  earth,  leaving  this  vast  globe  a  scene  of 
solitude  and  desolation,  an  immense  sepulchre,  and 
a  spectacle  of  horror  to  all  superior  intelligences. — 
And  let  it  be  remembered,  that  such  a  picture,  hor¬ 
rible  and  revolting  as  it  is,  is  nothing  more  than 
what  would  be  the  natural  result  of  the  principle  of 
hatred ,  were  it  left  to  its  native  energies,  and  were  it 
not  controlled,  in  the  course  of  Providence,  by  Him 
who  sets  restraining  bounds  to  the  wrath  of  man. 


TENDENCIES  OF  LOVE. 


327 


In  order  to  counteract  the  tendencies  of  this  bale¬ 
ful  principle,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
youth  be  trained  up  in  habits  of  kindness,  tenderness, 
and  compassion,  both  towards  human  beings  and 
towards  the  inferior  animals ;  that  an  abhorrence 
should  be  excited  in  their  minds  of  quarrelling,  fight¬ 
ing,  and  all  mischievous  tricks  and  actions  ;  that  they 
be  restrained  from  the  indulgence  of  malicious  and 
resentful  passions ;  that  every  indication  of  a  cruel 
and  unfeeling  disposition  be  carefully  counteracted ; 
and  that  every  tendency  of  the  heart  towards  the 
benevolent  affections,  and  every  principle  of  active 
beneficence,  be  cultivated  and  cherished  with  the  most 
sedulous  care  and  attention.  For,  in  youth,  the 
foundation  has  generally  been  laid  of  those  malevo¬ 
lent  principles  and  passions  which  have  led  to  rob¬ 
bery,  assassination,  and  deeds  of  violence — which 
have  filled  the  earth  with  blood  and  carnage — and 
which  have  displayed  their  diabolical  energy  in  so 
dreadful  a  manner  amidst  the  contests  of  communi¬ 
ties  and  nations. 

Were  the  disposition  to  indulge  hatred,  which 
leads  to  every  species  of  murder,  completely  counter¬ 
acted,  the  greatest  proportion  of  those  evils  which 
now  afflict  our  world  would  cease  to  exist.  Human 
sacrifices  would  no  longer  bleed  upon  Pagan  altars ; 
the  American  Indians  would  no  longer  torture  to 
death  their  prisoners  taken  in  war,  nor  the  New 
Zealanders  feast  upon  the  flesh  and  blood  of  their 
enemies.  The  widows  of  Hindostan  would  no  longer 
be  urged  to  burn  themselves  alive  on  the  corpses  of 
their  deceased  husbands  ;  nor  would  the  mothers  of 
China  imbrue  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  their  infant 


328 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


offspring.  The  practice  of  duelling  would  for  ever 
cease,  and  would  be  universally  execrated  as  an  out¬ 
rage  on  common  sense,  and  on  every  generous  and 
humane  feeling,  and  as  the  silly  attempt  of  a  puny 
mortal  to  gratify  wounded  pride  or  disappointed  am¬ 
bition,  at  the  expense  of  the  life  of  his  fellow-crea¬ 
ture.  Despotism  would  throw  aside  its  iron  sceptre, 
the  nations  would  be  ruled  with  the  law  of  love ;  and 
conspiracies,  treasons,  and  massacres  would  be  at¬ 
tempted  no  more.  The  fires  of  the  Inquisition 
would  cease  to  be  kindled  ;  the  supposed  heretic  would 
no  longer  be  consigned  to  the  horrors  of  a  gloomy 
dungeon ;  racks,  gibbets,  and  guillotines,  would  be 
shivered  to  pieces  and  thrown  into  the  flames ;  and 
the  spirit  of  cruelty  and  persecution  would  be  extir¬ 
pated  from  the  earth.  Riot  and  contention  would 
be  banished  from  our  streets,  and  harmony  and  con¬ 
cord  would  prevail  throughout  all  our  borders.  War 
would  for  ever  cease  to  desolate  the  nations ;  the 
confused  noise  of  invading  armies,  the  sounds  of 
martial  music,  the  groans  of  dying  victims,  and  the 
hoarse  shouts  of  conquerors,  would  be  heard  no  more. 
Peace  would  descend  from  heaven  to  dwell  with  man 
on  earth  ;  prosperity  would  follow  in  her  train ;  science 
would  enlarge  its  boundaries,  and  shed  its  benign  in¬ 
fluence  upon  all  ranks ;  the  useful  arts  would  flour¬ 
ish,  and  advance  towards  perfection;  philanthropy 
would  diffuse  its  thousand  blessings  in  every  direc¬ 
tion,  and  every  man  would  sit  “  under  his  vine  and 
fig-tree”  in  perfect  security  from  all  danger  or  an¬ 
noyance. 


LAW  OF  MARRIAGE. 


329 


SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shall  not  commit  adultery .” 

This  commandment  is  to  be  viewed  as  compre¬ 
hending,  within  its  prohibition,  every  species  of  lewd¬ 
ness,  both  in  thought,  word,  and  action ;  as  adultery, 
fornication,  incest,  polygamy,  &c. ;  and  likewise  all 
those  licentious  desires  and  affections  from  which 
such  actions  proceed.  In  this  comprehensive  sense 
it  is  explained  by  our  Saviour  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  and  by  the  Apostles  in  their  letters  to  the 
Christian  churches.  It  is  founded  on  the  distinction 
of  sexes  which  exists  among  mankind,  and  on  the 
law  of  Marriage,  which  was  promulgated  immediately 
after  the  creation  of  the  first  pair — a  law  which  was 
intended  to  limit  and  to  regulate  the  intercourse  of 
the  sexes ;  and  to  promote  purity,  affection,  and 
order,  among  the  several  generations  of  mankind. 
By  this  law  the  marriage  union  is  limited  to  two  in¬ 
dividuals.  He  who  made  mankind  at  the  beginning, 
says  Christ,  made  them  male  and  female,  and  said, 
<£  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father  and  mother, 
and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife\  and  they  twain  shall  be 
one  flesh.”  And  it  might  easily  be  shown,  from  an 
induction  of  facts,  and  from  a  consideration  of  the 
present  circumstances  of  the  human  race,  that  this 
law,  and  this  alone,  is  calculated  to  promote  the  mu¬ 
tual  affection  of  the  married  pair,  and  to  secure  the 
peace  and  happiness  of  families,  and  the  harmony  of 
general  society.  By  this  law  the  union  is  made  ]jer- 
manent,  so  long  as  the  parties  exist  in  this  world : 


330 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


((  What  God  hath  joined,  let  not  man  put  asunder.” 
This  regulation  has  a  tendency  to  promote  union  of 
affection  and  interests,  and  to  induce  the  parties  to 
bear  with  patience  the  occasional  inconveniences  and 
contentions  which  may  arise.  Were  divorces  gener¬ 
ally  permitted,  on  the  ground  of  unsuitableness  of 
temper,  or  occasional  jars,  society  would  soon  be 
shaken  to  its  centre.  Every  real  or  supposed  insult 
or  provocation  would  be  followed  out,  till  it  termi¬ 
nated  in  a  separation  of  the  parties  ;  families  would 
thus  be  torn  into  shreds,  the  education  of  the  young 
would  be  neglected,  parental  authority  disregarded, 
and  a  door  opened  for  the  prevalence  of  unbounded 
licentiousness.  Soon  after  the  commencement  of 
the  Revolution  in  France,  a  law  permitting  divorces 
was  passed  by  the  National  Assembly ;  and,  in  less 
than  three  months  from  its  date,  nearly  as  many 
divorces  as  marriages  were  registered  in  the  city  of 
Paris.  In  the  whole  kingdom,  within  the  space  of 
eighteen  months,  upwards  of  twenty  thousand  di¬ 
vorces  were  effected ;  and  the  nation  sunk  into  a 
state  of  moral  degradation,  from  the  effects  of  which 
it  has  never  yet  recovered.  This  is  one  of  the  many 
practical  proofs,  presented  before  us,  of  the  danger  of 
infringing  on  any  of  the  moral  arrangements  which 
the  Creator  has  established. 

The  precept  under  consideration  is  to  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  directly  opposed  to  all  promiscuous  and 
licentious  intercourse  between  the  sexes.  And  the 
reasonableness  of  this  prohibition  will  appear,  if  we 
consider  what  would  be  the  consequences  which 
would  inevitably  follow,  were  this  law  to  be  set  aside, 
or  universally  violated.  A  scene  of  unbounded 


EFFECTS  OF  LICENTIOUSNESS. 


331 


licentiousness  would  ensue,  which  would  degrade  the 
human  character,  which  would  destroy  almost  all  the 
existing  relations  of  society,  and  unhinge  the  whole 
fabric  of  the  moral  world. — One  end  of  the  institu¬ 
tion  of  marriage  was,  to  “replenish  the  earth ”  with 
inhabitants,  to  perpetuate  the  successive  generations 
of  men,  and  to  train  up  a  virtuous  and  intelligent 
race  to  people  the  congregation  of  the  heavens.  But 
this  end  would  be  ultimately  frustrated,  were  a  pro¬ 
miscuous  and  unlimited  intercourse  to  become  either 
general  or  universal.  For  it  has  been  found,  that, 
wherever  such  intercourse  partially  prevails,  it  strikes 
at  the  root  of  human  existence,  and  has  a  tendency 
to  prevent  the  operation  of  that  law  which  the  Crea¬ 
tor  impressed  on  all  living  beings,  “  Increase  and 
multiply.”  In  the  haunts  of  licentiousness,  in  large 
cities,  and  in  all  such  societies  as  those  which  for¬ 
merly  existed  in  Otaheite,  under  the  name  of  Arreoy , 
the  laws  of  nature  are  violated,  the  course  of  gene¬ 
ration  obstructed,  and  numbers  of  human  beings 
strangled  at  the  very  porch  of  existence.  So  that 
were  mankind  at  large  to  relapse  into  such  licentious 
practices,  the  human  race,  instead  of  increasing  in 
number,  to  replenish  the  desolate  wastes  of  our 
globe,  according  to  the  Creator’s  intention,  would 
rapidly  decrease  every  succeeding  generation,  till, 
after  the  lapse  of  a  few  centuries,  human  beings 
would  be  entirely  extirpated,  and  the  earth,  barren 
and  uncultivated,  would  be  left  to  the  dominion  of 
the  beasts  of  the  forest. 

But,  although  such  a  distant  event  were  to  be 
altogether  disregarded,  the  immediate  consequences 
of  such  unhallowed  courses  would  be  dismal  in  the 


332 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


extreme.  That  union  of  heart,  of  affection,  and  of 
interests,  which  subsists  between  the  great  majority 
of  married  pairs,  and  those  reciprocal  sympathies  and 
endearments  which  flow  from  this  union,  would  be 
altogether  unknown.  The  female  sex,  (as  already 
happens  in  some  nations,)  with  minds  uncultivated 
and  unpolished,  would  be  degraded  into  mere  instru¬ 
ments  of  sensitive  enjoyment,  into  household  slaves, 
or  into  something  analogous  to  beasts  of  burden,  and 
would  be  bought  and  sold  like  cattle  and  horses. 
The  minds  of  all  would  be  degraded  to  the  level  of 
brutes,  and  would  be  incapable  of  prosecuting  either 
rational  or  religious  pursuits.  Their  bodies  would 
be  wasted  and  enfeebled  with  squalid  disease ;  the 
infirmities  of  a  premature  old  age  would  seize  upon 
them;  and  before  they  had  “lived  half  their  days,” 
they  would  sink  into  the  grave  in  hopelessness  and 
sorrow.  A  universal  sottishness,  and  disregard  of 
every  thing  except  present  sensual  enjoyment,  would 
seize  upon  the  whole  mass  of  society,  and  benumb 
the  human  faculties :  the  God  of  heaven  would  be 
overlooked,  and  the  important  realities  of  an  immor¬ 
tal  existence  completely  banished  from  the  thoughts 
and  affections.  Thousands  and  ten  thousands  of 
infants  would  be  strangled  at  their  entrance  into 
life;  and  the  greater  part  of  those  who  were  spared 
would  be  doomed  to  a  wretched  and  precarious  exist¬ 
ence.  The  training  up  of  the  youthful  mind  to 
knowledge  and  virtue  would  be  quite  neglected;  and 
all  that  civility  and  softness  of  manners,  which  are 
now  acquired  under  the  eye  of  parental  authority  and 
affection,  would  be  unknown  in  society.  The  en¬ 
dearing  relations  of  father  and  mother,  of  brothers 


EFFECTS  OF  LICENTIOUSNESS. 


333 


and  sisters,  of  uncles,  aunts,  and  cousins,  and  all  the 
other  ramifications  of  kindred,  which  now  produce  so 
many  interesting  and  delightful  associations,  would 
fail  to  be  recognised  among  men :  for  in  such  a  state 
of  society,  the  natural  relations  of  mankind  would  be 
either  disregarded,  or  blended  in  undistinguishable 
confusion. 

Children,  neglected  or  abandoned  by  their  mo¬ 
thers,  would  be  left  to  the  full  influence  of  their  own 
wayward  and  impetuous  passions ;  they  would  de¬ 
pend  for  subsistence,  either  on  accident,  on  pilfering, 
or  on  the  tender  mercies  of  general  society;  they 
would  wander  about  as  vagabonds,  tattered  and  for¬ 
lorn;  their  hearts  shrivelled  with  unkindness,  their 
bodies  chilled  with  the  rains  and  biting  frosts,  and 
deformed  with  filthiness  and  disease.  They  would 
be  left  to  perish  in  the  open  fields,  without  a  friend 
to  close  their  eyes;  and  their  bodies,  unnoticed  and 
unknown,  would  remain  as  a  prey,  to  be  devoured  by 
the  fowls  of  heaven.  In  every  land  would  be  seen 
multitudes  of  houseless  and  shivering  females,  set 
adrift  by  their  seducers,  wandering  with  their  hun¬ 
gry  and  half-famished  offspring,  the  objects  of  deri¬ 
sion  and  contempt ;  and  imploring,  in  vain,  the  com¬ 
forts  of  food,  of  shelter,  and  protection.  For,  among 
human  beings,  in  such  a  degraded  state,  the  kindly 
and  benevolent  affections  would  seldom  be  exercised ; 
a  cold-blooded  selfishness  and  apathy,  in  relation  to 
the  sufferings  of  others,  would  supplant  all  the  finer 
feelings  of  humanity;  which  would  dispose  them  to 
view  the  wretched  objects  around  them  with  perfect 
indifference,  and  even  with  contempt.  “  However  it 
may  be  accounted  for,”  says  Dr.  Paley,  ii  the  crimi- 


334 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nal  commerce  of  the  sexes  corrupts  and  depraves  the 
mind  and  the  moral  character,  more  than  any  single 
species  of  vice  whatsoever.  That  ready  perception 
of  guilt,  that  prompt  and  decisive  resolution  against 
it,  which  constitutes  a  virtuous  character,  is  seldom 
found  in  persons  addicted  to  these  indulgences. 
They  prepare  an  easy  admission  for  every  sin  that 
seeks  it ;  are,  in  low  life,  usually  the  first  stage  in 
men’s  progress  to  the  most  desperate  villanies ;  and, 
in  high  life,  to  that  lamented  dissoluteness  of  prin¬ 
ciple,  which  manifests  itself  in  a  profligacy  of  public 
conduct,  and  a  contempt  of  the  obligations  of  religion 
and  of  moral  probity.  Add  to  this,  that  habits  of 
libertinism  incapacitate  and  indispose  the  mind  for  all 
intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  pleasures.”  * 

In  short,  in  such  a  state  of  society  as  would  in¬ 
evitably  accompany  a  general  violation  of  the  seventh 
precept  of  the  moral  law,  all  the  softness  and  loveli¬ 
ness  of  filial  piety,  of  parental  affection,  of  brotherly 
attachment,  and  of  the  intercourse  of  kindred,  would 
for  ever  cease ;  science  and  literature  would  be  ne¬ 
glected;  and  churches,  colleges,  schools  and  academies 
would  crumble  into  ruins ;  a  sufficient  stimulus  would 
be  wanting  to  the  exercise  of  industry  and  economy ; 
a  lazy  apathy  would  seize  upon  the  mass  of  society ; 
the  earth  would  cease  to  be  cultivated,  and  would 
soon  be  covered  with  briers  and  thorns,  or  changed 
into  the  barren  wastes  of  an  African  desert.  The 
foundation  of  all  regular  government  would  be  un¬ 
dermined  ;  for  it  is  chiefly  in  those  habits  of  sub- 


*  Principles  of  Moral  and  Political  Philosophy,  Book  III. 
Part  iii.  chap.  2. 


EXEMPLIFICATIONS  OF  LICENTIOUSNESS.  335 

mission  and  obedience  which  are  acquired  under  the 
domestic  roof,  that  the  foundations  are  laid  of  that 
subordination  which  is  necessary  to  secure  the  peace 
and  order  of  mankind.  Society  would  consequently 
be  thrown  into  a  state  of  disorder,  and  would 
speedily  sink  into  oblivion,  in  the  mire  of  its  own 
pollution. 

The  positions  now  stated  could  be  illustrated,  were 
it  expedient,  by  a  variety  of  melancholy  facts,  bor¬ 
rowed  from  the  history  and  the  present  state  both 
of  savage  and  of  civilized  nations.  The  annals  of 
Turkey,  of  Persia,  of  Hindostan,  of  China,  of  the 
Society  Isles,  and  even  of  the  civilized  nations  of 
Europe  and  America,  would  furnish  abundance  of 
impressive  facts,  to  demonstrate  the  demoralizing 
and  miserable  effects  which  would  flow  from  a  spirit 
of  universal  licentiousness. — In  an  account  of  the 
£<  Moral  Statistics  and  Topography  of  New  York,” 
in  1820,  by  Ward  Stafford,  A.  M.  we  are  informed, 
that,  in  that  city  alone,  there  are  more  than  6000 
abandoned  females  !  (i  In  passing  a  distance  of 
thirty  or  forty  roods,  not  less  than  twenty  ball-rooms 
have  been  counted,  in  which  were  assembled  hun¬ 
dreds  of  this  class  of  people,  dancing  to  the  sound  of 
the  viol.  It  is  known  that  there  is  a  class  of  men 
who  keep  large  numbers  of  these  voluntary  slaves, 
for  purposes  of  corruption  and  gain, — that  many  of 
them  are  held  by  their  masters  in  the  most  abject 
slavery, — and,  to  keep  them  in  subjection,  they  are 
at  times  scourged  in  the  most  cruel  manner.  Some 
who,  when  wasting  with  the  consumption,  have  fled 
from  one  place  to  another  where  they  supposed 
they  should  be  better  treated,  have  been  seized  by 


336 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


violence,  and  carried  back,  and  kept  by  their  old 
masters,  till  approaching  death  had  destroyed  all  hope 
of  further  gain.  The  windows  of  at  least  one,  and 
probably  of  many  more  of  these  slaughter-houses, 
are  actually  grated  with  bars  of  iron.  It  is  known 
also,  that  children,  some  their  own  illegitimate  off¬ 
spring,  and  some  obtained,  by  various  arts  of  decep¬ 
tion,  from  the  families  of  others,  are  trained  up 
expressly  for  this  polluted  traffic,  and  engage  in  it  at 
a  very  early  period  of  life.  Some  of  this  descrip¬ 
tion  have  been  found  whose  age  did  not  exceed 
eleven  years  !” 

And  if  such  a  melancholy  picture  of  wretched¬ 
ness  is  displayed  amidst  the  boasted  civilization  and 
Christianity  of  New  York,  what  still  more  revolting 
scenes  would  open  to  view,  were  we  to  survey  the 
haunts  of  licentiousness  which  abound  in  Algiers,  in 
Constantinople,  in  Teheran,  in  Pekin,  in  Canton,  in 
Jeddo,  and  other  populous  cities,  where  the  restraints 
of  Christianity  are  altogether  unknown  !  In  such 
receptacles  of  impurity,  every  moral  feeling  is  blunted, 
and  every  moral  principle  abandoned.  Impiety,  pro¬ 
fanity,  falsehood,  treachery,  perjury,  and  drunken¬ 
ness,  rear  their  unblushing  fronts ;  and  thefts,  rob¬ 
beries,  and  murders  follow  in  their  train.  The 
unhappy  female  who  enters  these  antichambers  of 
hell,  is,  for  the  most  part,  cut  off  from  all  hopes  of 
retreat.  From  that  moment  the  shades  of  moral 
darkness  begin  to  close  around  her;  she  bids  a  last 
adieu  to  the  smiles  of  tenderness  and  sympathy,  to 
the  kind  embraces  of  father  and  mother,  of  sisters 
and  brothers,  to  the  house  of  God,  to  the  instruc¬ 
tions  of  his  word,  and  to  the  society  of  the  faithful. 


MARRIAGE  A  TEMPORARY  LAW. 


337 


Instead  of  the  cheering  sounds  of  the  Gospel  of 
peace,  her  ears  become  accustomed  to  oaths,  and 
curses,  and  horrid  imprecations ;  the  voice  of  con¬ 
science  is  hushed  amidst  the  din  of  revelry  and  riot; 
every  generous  feeling  is  shrunk  and  withered ;  she 
stalks  abroad,  like  a  painted  corpse,  to  fill  with  hor¬ 
ror  the  virtuous  mind,  and  to  allure  the  unwary  to 
the  shades  of  death  ;  till  at  length,  wasted  with  con¬ 
sumption  and  loathsome  disease,  she  is  stretched 
upon  the  bed  of  languishing,  abandoned  by  her  for¬ 
mer  associates,  deprived  of  the  least  drop  of  conso¬ 
lation,  haunted  with  the  ghastly  apparitions  of  de¬ 
parted  joys,  and  the  forebodings  of  futurity,  and 
sinks,  “  in  the  midst  of  her  days,”  into  the  chambers 
of  the  grave,  without  the  least  hope  of  a  glorious 
resurrection. — And  if  we  consider,  that  this  is  a 
picture  of  the  wretchedness,  not  only  of  a  few  indivi¬ 
duals,  but  of  thousands,  of  tens  of  thousands,  and 
of  millions  of  human  beings,  it  is  impossible  to  de¬ 
scribe  the  accumulated  mass  of  misery  which  impurity 
has  created,  or  to  form  any  adequate  conception  of 
the  horrible  and  revolting  scenes  of  wretchedness 
which  would  be  displayed,  were  the  law  under  con¬ 
sideration  to  be  set  aside  by  all  the  inhabitants  of 
our  globe. 

There  is  a  certain  levity  of  speech  in  relation  to 
this  subject,  which  prevails  among  many  who  wish  to 
be  considered  as  respectable  characters,  which  pro¬ 
ceeds  from  a  contracted  view  of  the  consequences  of 
human  actions.  They  conceive,  that  no  great  harm 
can  be  done  to  society  by  a  few  insulated  actions  of 
the  kind  alluded  to,  especially  if  they  be  concealed 
from  general  observation ;  and  that  the  Creator  will 

D.  2.  p 


338 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


be  disposed  to  make  every  allowance  for  human 
frailty.  But  let  such  remember,  that,  if  it  were 
right  to  violate  this,  or  any  other  law  of  the  Creator, 
in  one  instance,  it  would  be  right  in  a  thousand,  in 
a  million,  and  in  eight  hundred  millions  of  instances; 
and  then  all  the  revolting  scenes  now  described,  and 
thousands  of  similar  effects,  of  which  we  cannot  at 
present  form  a  distinct  conception,  would  inevitably 
take  place.  And  therefore,  every  man  who,  from 
levity  and  thoughtlessness,  or  from  a  disregard  to  the 
laws  of  Heaven,  persists  in  the  occasional  indulgence 
of  such  unhallowed  gratifications,  indulges  in  a  prac¬ 
tice  which,  were  it  universally  to  prevail,  would  sap 
the  foundations  of  all  moral  order,  exterminate  the 
most  endearing  relations  of  society,  prostrate  man 
below  the  level  of  the  brute,  open  the  floodgates  of 
all  iniquity,  diffuse  misery  over  the  whole  mass  of 
human  beings,  and  at  length  empty  the  world  of  its 
inhabitants. 

The  precept  which  we  have  now  been  consider¬ 
ing,  is  one  which,  in  all  probability,  is  confined,  in 
its  references,  to  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe.  At 
any  rate,  it  would  be  quite  nugatory,  and  therefore 
can  have  no  place,  in  the  moral  code  of  a  world 
where  the  distinction  of  sexes  does  not  exist.  And 
even  in  those  worlds  where  a  similar  distinction  may 
exist,  the  very  different  circumstances  in  which  their 
inhabitants  are  placed,  may  render  the  promulgation 
of  such  a  law  altogether  unnecessary.  It  appears 
to  be  a  temporary  regulation,  to  remain  in  force  only 
during  the  limited  period  of  the  present  economy  of 
Providence  ;  for,  in  the  future  destination  of  the 
righteous,  we  are  told,  that  they  neither  marry  nor 


LAW  RESPECTING  PROPERTY. 


339 


are  given  in  marriage,  but  are  as  the  angels  of  God.” 
And  therefore  it  is  probable,  that  the  recognition  of 
such  a  law  will  not  be  necessary  in  the  intercourses 
which  take  place  among  redeemed  men  in  the  eternal 
world;  but  the  principle  on  which  it  is  founded,  and 
from  which  it  flows,  will  run  through  all  the  other 
new  relations  and  circumstances  in  which  they  may  be 
placed.  In  the  existing  circumstances  of  mankind, 
however,  the  operation  of  this  law  is  essentially  ne¬ 
cessary  to  the  stability  and  happiness  of  the  moral 
world;  and  were  its  requisitions  universally  observed, 
the  melancholy  scenes  to  which  I  have  alluded  would 
no  longer  exist;  the  present  and  everlasting  ruin  of 
thousands  and  of  millions  would  be  prevented ;  and 
a  scene  of  happiness  and  love,  such  as  the  world  has 
never  yet  witnessed,  would  be  displayed  among  all 
the  families  of  the  earth. 


THE  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shalt  not  steal'' 

When  the  Creator  had  arranged  our  globe  in  the 
form  in  which  we  now  behold  it,  he  furnished  it  with 
every  thing  requisite  for  the  sustenance  and  accom¬ 
modation  of  living  beings,  and  bestowed  the  whole 
of  its  riches  and  decorations  as  a  free  grant  to  the 
sons  of  men.  To  man  he  said,  “  Behold,  I  have 
given  you  every  herb  bearing  seed,  which  is  upon 
the  face  of  all  the  earth,  and  every  tree  in  the  which 
is  the  fruit  of  a  tree  yielding  seed  ;  to  you  it  shall  be 
for  meat.”  Ever  since  the  period  when  this  grant 
was  made,  God  has  not  left  himself  without  a  wit- 

p  2 


340 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ness  to  his  benignity,  in  that  he  has  unceasingly  be¬ 
stowed  on  mankind  <(  rain  from  heaven,  and  fruitful 
seasons,  filling  their  hearts  with  food  and  gladness.” 
The  earth  has,  in  every  age,  brought  forth  abun¬ 
dance  to  supply  the  wants  of  all  the  living  beings  it 
contains;  and  there  is  still  ample  room  on  its  surface 
for  the  accommodation  and  support  of  thousands  of 
millions  of  the  human  race,  in  addition  to  those 
which  now  exist.  But  mankind  have  never  yet 
agreed  about  the  division  of  this  ample  gift  of  the 
Creator;  for  every  one  is  disposed  to  think  that  his 
share  in  it  is  too  small,  and  is  continually  attempting 
to  make  inroads  upon  the  allotment  of  his  neigh¬ 
bours.  To  this  disposition  is  to  be  ascribed  more 
than  one  half  of  all  the  evils  which  have  afflicted  the 
world  in  every  age  since  the  fall  of  man.  To  coun¬ 
teract  such  a  propensity  in  mankind,  and  to  regulate 
their  conduct  in  relation  to  property,  is  the  great 
object  of  this  command,  “  Thou  shalt  not  steal.” 

To  steal,  is  to  take  the  property  of  others,  with¬ 
out  their  knowledge  or  consent,  and  to  apply  it  to 
our  own  use.  The  most  flagrant  breaches  of  the 
law,  consist  in  robbery,  housebreaking,  pilfering, 
plunder,  and  pillage.  But  it  may  be  violated  in  a 
thousand  different  ways,  of  which  human  laws  seldom 
take  any  cognizance.  It  is  violated  by  every  species 
of  fraud  by  which  our  neighbour  may  be  injured  in 
his  wealth  or  property.  It  is  violated  in  the  ordi¬ 
nary  commerce  of  mankind,  by  the  use  of  false 
weights  and  measures  ;  by  selling  deteriorated  com¬ 
modities  as  if  they  were  sound  and  good;  by  depre¬ 
ciating  the  value  of  what  w^e  wish  to  buy,  and  con¬ 
cealing  the  defects  of  what  we  sell;  by  contracting 


DISHONESTY  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES.  34-1 


debts  which  we  have  no  prospect  of  discharging,  and 
neglecting  to  pay  them  when  they  are  due;  by 
breaches  of  trust,  in  the  case  of  servants,  guardians, 
executors,  or  public  officers,  embezzling  the  sub¬ 
stance  of  others,  or  applying  it  to  their  own  use.  It 
is  also  violated  by  trespassing  on  the  property  of 
others,  so  as  to  injure  gardens,  orchards,  plantations, 
or  corn-fields ;  and  by  that  disposition  to  vulgar  mis¬ 
chief  which  delights  in  breaking  lamps,  windows,  and 
fences ;  in  injuring  and  defacing  public  buildings, 
walks,  and  ornamental  improvements ;  in  hacking  and 
carving  walls,  wainscottings,  doors,  and  balustrades ; 
and  in  cutting  down  trees  and  shrubs  planted  for  use 
or  for  ornament.  It  is  violated  when  we  retain  bor¬ 
rowed  articles  beyond  a  reasonable  time,  when  we 
suffer  them  to  be  injured  through  negligence,  when 
we  circulate  them  from  one  person  to  another  with¬ 
out  the  consent  of  the  proprietors,  and  when  we  ap¬ 
ply  them  to  purposes  for  which  they  were  never 
intended,  and  which  the  lender  never  contemplated. 
In  short,  this  law  is  violated  by  every  species  of 
idleness,  vanity,  gaming,  and  prodigality,  which  has 
a  tendency  to  injure  the  external  prosperity,  either 
of  our  own  family,  or  of  the  families  of  others. 

Were  the  law  which  forbids  those  actions  to  be 
set  aside,  or  universally  violated,  it  is  easy  to  fore¬ 
see,  that,  in  a  short  time,  the  whole  assemblage  of 
human  beings  would  be  transformed  into  a  set  of 
lawless  banditti.  Peace,  harmony,  and  good  neigh¬ 
bourhood,  would  be  unknown  among  men;  the  strong 
would  plunder  the  possessions  of  the  weak,  and  de¬ 
prive  them  of  every  enjoyment ;  children  would  rob 
their  parents,  and  parents  their  children ;  brothers 


343 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


would  plunder  brothers,  and  servants  their  masters ; 
buying  and  selling  would  cease,  and  all  regular  trade 
and  commerce  would  be  destroyed :  every  man’s  co¬ 
vetous  eye  would  be  directed  to  the  wealth  and  pro¬ 
perty  of  his  neighbour,  with  a  view  of  depriving  him 
of  his  enjoyments;  and  a  thousand  schemes,  either 
of  treachery  or  of  open  violence,  would  be  contrived 
to  effectuate  his  purpose.  Murders  would  be  daily 
contrived  and  perpetrated,  for  the  purpose  of  more 
easily  obtaining  possession  of  the  estates  of  the  power¬ 
ful  and  opulent ;  and  every  man’s  life  and  happiness 
would  be  at  the  mercy  of  his  covetous  neighbour. 
The  inhabitants  of  one  province  would  rise  against 
those  of  another,  and,  by  force  of  arms,  plunder  them 
of  all  their  earthly  treasures.  One  nation  would 
invade  the  territories  of  another,  for  the  purpose  of 
ravaging  its  cities  and  provinces,  and  of  appropriat¬ 
ing  its  wealth  and  riches  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  such 
lawless  depredations,  towns  would  be  demolished, 
villages  consumed  to  ashes,  the  fruits  of  the  earth 
destroyed,  men,  women,  and  children  trampled  under 
foot,  and  crushed  to  death,  and  every  city  and  fertile 
field  would  present  a  scene  of  carnage  and  desola¬ 
tion.  In  such  a  state  of  society,  no  man  could  have 
confidence  in  his  brother;  fear  would  he  on  every 
side ;  uncertainty  would  attend  every  pursuit  and 
possession :  of  the  wealth  which  any  one  had  ac¬ 
quired,  and  of  the  enjoyments  which  he  possessed 
to-day,  he  might  be  deprived  before  to-morrow;  and 
if,  by  means  of  vigilance,  and  the  strong  arm  of  power, 
he  were  enabled  to  maintain  possession  of  his  pro¬ 
perty  for  one  year,  he  could  have  no  rational  ground 
to  expect  that  he  would  enjoy  it  in  security  for  an- 


DISHONESTY  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES.  343 


other.  And,  as  no  one  would  think  of  engaging  in 
regular  labour,  while  he  could  subsist  in  plundering 
his  weaker  neighbours — the  earth  would  soon  be  left 
uncultivated,  the  useful  arts  would  be  abandoned, 
agricultural  industry  and  improvement  would  cease, 
and  a  universal  famine  would  overspread  every  land, 
which  would  thin  the  human  race,  and  gradually  ex¬ 
terminate  them  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Such  scenes  of  plunder  and  depredation  have  in 
fact  been  partially  realized  in  every  age  and  nation 
of  the  world,  and  are  still  realized,  to  a  certain  ex¬ 
tent,  even  in  nations  which  boast  of  their  progress 
in  religion,  civilization,  and  science.  The  annals  of 
the  human  race  contain  little  more  than  a  series  of 
melancholy  records  of  wholesale  robbery,  committed 
by  one  tribe  of  human  beings  upon  another.  One 
public  robber  and  desperado  has  arisen  after  another 
in  constant  succession,  and,  at  the  head  of  numerous 
armies,  has  violated  the  territories  of  peaceful  indus¬ 
try,  demolished  the  habitations  of  their  unoffending 
inhabitants,  broken  down  their  furniture,  and  con¬ 
signed  it  to  the  flames;  wasted  and  devoured  the 
fruits  of  their  ground,  and  plundered  them  of  every 
thing  which  could  render  existence  desirable.  And 
the  inferior  ranks  of  mankind,  stimulated  by  the 
same  principles  which  actuate  their  superiors,  have 
supported  a  system  of  peculation,  of  cheating,  of  liti¬ 
gation,  of  injustice  and  oppression,  which,  were  it  left 
solely  to  its  own  native  energies,  would  soon  under¬ 
mine  the  foundations  of  the  moral  world.  That 
such  principles  and  practices  have  never  yet  become 
universal  in  their  operation,  is  not  owing  so  much  to 
any  deficiency  in  their  malignant  tendency,  as  to  the 


344 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


overruling  providence  of  the  Moral  Governor  of  the 
world,  who  has,  by  his  influence,  and  his  physical  ar¬ 
rangements,  confined  the  lawless  passions  of  men  with¬ 
in  certain  bounds,  beyond  which  they  cannot  pass. 

Were  a  principle  of  honesty  and  of  justice,  in 
regard  to  property,  to  pervade  the  mind  of  every 
human  being;  or,  in  other  words,  were  the  law  to 
which  I  am  now  adverting  universally  recognised,  a 
new  scene  would  open  upon  the  moral  world,  altoge¬ 
ther  different  from  what  has  hitherto  been  displayed 
in  the  transactions  of  mankind.  The  iron  rod  of 
oppression  would  be  broken,  and  destroying  armies 
would  no  longer  ravage  the  habitations  of  men.  The 
crowds  of  sharpers,  cheats,  and  jockies,  that  now 
stalk  through  the  world,  with  unblushing  fronts,  to 
entrap  the  unwary,  would  for  ever  disappear  from  the 
world.  Impartial  justice  would  reign  triumphant 
over  every  department  of  society ;  and  all  the  harass¬ 
ing  lawsuits  and  prosecutions,  which  now  distress  so 
many  thousands  of  families,  would  be  swept  away. 
Every  loan  of  books,  furniture,  or  utensils,  would  be 
returned  without  injury,  and  without  unnecessary 
delay;  and  every  debt  punctually  discharged,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  nature  of  the  obligation,  and  at  the  period 
at  which  it  is  due ;  every  bargain  would  be  trans¬ 
acted  on  the  principles  of  immutable  justice,  and  the 
conditions  of  every  contract  faithfully  performed  : 
no  suspicions  of  knavery  would  ever  harbour  in  the 
breast,  nor  the  least  alarm  at  the  possible  conse¬ 
quences  of  any  mercantile  transaction.  Public  build¬ 
ings  would  be  secure  from  the  inroads  of  the  genius 
of  mischief,  and  gardens  and  orchards  from  every 
wanton  depredation.  Locks,  and  bars,  and  bolts. 


EFFECTS  OF  HONESTY. 


345 


would  no  longer  be  required  for  securing  our  sub¬ 
stance  from  the  pilferer  and  the  robber  ;  and  the  iron 
gratings  of  a  bridewell  or  a  jail,  would  never  again 
remind  us  of  the  dishonesty  and  depravity  of  man. 
Servants  would  be  universally  honest  and  trust¬ 
worthy,  and  the  property  of  their  masters  would  be 
regarded  as  a  sacred  deposit. 

And  what  a  happy  change  would  such  a  state  of 
society  introduce  among  mankind  !  What  a  host 
of  cares,  anxieties,  suspicions,  vexations,  and  per¬ 
plexities,  would  be  chased  away  !  and  what  a  world 
of  conveniences  and  of  delightful  associations  would 
thus  be  created  !  Every  merchant,  by  marking  the 
price  and  the  quality  of  each  commodity,  might  leave 
his  goods  open  to  the  inspection  of  the  public,  and 
enjoy  himself  either  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  or 
in  active  services  for  the  good  of  the  community, 
without  the  least  risk  of  loss  or  of  depredations  ; 
and  every  purchaser  might  depend  upon  procuring 
the  articles  he  wanted  at  their  just  value.  Every 
traveller  would  prosecute  his  journey,  either  by  day 
or  by  night,  without  the  least  apprehension  from 
sharpers  or  robbers,  and  without  being  harassed  with 
the  impositions  of  innkeepers,  coachmen,  carriers, 
and  porters.  Every  one’s  mind  would  be  at  perfect 
ease  in  regard  to  his  property,  whether  he  were  at 
home  or  abroad,  in  health  or  in  sickness ;  being 
firmly  persuaded  that  every  trust  would  be  faithfully 
discharged,  and  every  commercial  concern  fairly  and 
honourably  transacted.  Selfishness  and  rapacity 
would  give  place  to  a  spirit  of  justice  and  equity ; 
contentions,  jockeyings,and  altercations  would  cease ; 
peace  and  concord  would  prevail,  and  righteousness 

p  3 


3 IG 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION'. 


and  truth  would  shed  their  benign  influence  over  the 
whole  brotherhood  of  mankind. 

THE  NINTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shall  not  hear  false  ivitness  against  thy 
neighbour .” 

This  command,  like  most  of  the  others,  is  ex¬ 
pressed  in  a  negative  form.  It  is  directed  against 
every  species  of  falsehood,  and,  consequently,  must 
be  viewed  as  inculcating  a  sacred  and  universal  ad¬ 
herence  to  truth  in  all  our  thoughts,  words,  and 
actions.  In  the  remarks  I  may  throw  out  in  relation 
to  this  precept,  I  shall  consider  it  chiefly  in  its  posi¬ 
tive  form,  as  commanding  an  inviolable  attachment 
to  truth.  Truth  may  be  considered  in  two  different 
points  of  view — logical  truth,  which  consists  in  the 
conformity  of  a  proposition  or  assertion  to  the  ac¬ 
tual  state  of  things;  and  moral  truth,  which  consists 
in  the  agreement  of  our  words  and  actions  with  our 
thoughts.  Logical  truth  belongs  to  the  thing  or  the 
fact  asserted  ;  moral  truth,  or  what  is  termed  vera¬ 
city,  has  a  reference  to  the  person  who  utters  it.  In 
both  these  respects,  truth  is  of  immense  importance 
to  all  intelligent  beings. — The  importance  of  truth  and 
veracity  will  appear  from  the  following  considerations. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  the  bond  of  society ,  and 
the  foundation  of  all  that  confidence  and  intercourse 
lohich  subsist  among  rational  beings.  I3y  far  the 
greater  part  of  all  the  knowledge  we  possess,  has 
been  derived  from  the  testimony  of  others.  It  is 
from  the  communication  of  others,  and  from  a  reli- 


IMPORTANCE  OF  TRUTH. 


347 


ance  on  their  veracity,  that  those  who  were  never 
beyond  the  limits  of  Great  Britain,  know  that  there 
are  such  cities  as  Paris,  Vienna,  Constantinople,  and 
Cairo ;  and  that  there  are  such  countries  as  Canada, 
Nova  Scotia,  Brazil,  Peru,  Persia,  China,  and  Hin- 
dostan.  It  is  from  the  same  source  that  we  have 
learned  the  facts  of  ancient  and  modern  history,  and 
that  there  once  existed  such  empires  as  the  Greek 
and  Roman,  the  Persian,  Assyrian,  and  Babylonian. 
On  the  same  ground,  the  veracity  of  others,  we  con¬ 
fide  in  all  the  domestic  relations  and  intercourses  of 
life;  and  on  this  ground  all  the  transactions  of  com¬ 
mercial  society,  and  all  the  arrangements  and  opera¬ 
tions  of  government,  are  conducted.  On  the  im¬ 
plied  veracity  of  others,  we  retire  from  our  employ¬ 
ments  at  certain  hours,  and  sit  down  to  breakfast  or 
dinner;  and,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  we  assem¬ 
ble  in  a  certain  place,  at  an  appointed  hour,  for  re¬ 
ligious  worship.  On  this  ground,  the  pupil  confides 
in  his  teacher  for  instruction  ;  the  child  in  his  parents 
for  sustenance,  clothing,  and  protection ;  the  master 
in  his  servant  for  the  execution  of  his  orders;  and  the 
wife  in  her  husband  for  provision  and  support.  We 
confide  every  moment  in  the  faithfulness  of  the  Al¬ 
mighty  for  the  regular  returns  of  day  and  night,  of 
summer  and  winter,  of  seedtime  and  harvest.  Could 
the  veracity  of  God  be  impeached  or  rendered  liable 
to  suspicion,  we  should  remain  in  awful  suspense, 
whether  another  day  would  dawn  upon  the  world, 
or  whether  the  earth  would  be  shattered  to  pieces, 
and  its  fragments  dispersed  throughout  surrounding 
worlds,  before  the  sun  again  appeared  in  the  horizon. 
A  being  possessed  of  boundless  knowledge  and  om- 


348 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nipotence,  without  veracity,  would  be  the  terror  of 
the  whole  intelligent  universe,  and  would  produce 
universal  agitation  and  alarm. 

Again,  truth  is  the  foundation  of  our  present  com¬ 
fort  and  of  our  future  prospects.  On  the  veracity 
of  those  illustrious  characters  that  have  gone  before 
us,  whose  declarations  were  confirmed  by  signs  and 
miracles,  we  depend  for  the  hope  of  forgiveness  and 
acceptance  with  God,  and  for  those  rich  sources  of 
consolation  which  are  calculated  to  support  the  mind 
under  the  afflictions  of  mortality,  and  to  cheer  us  in 
the  prospect  of  a  future  world.  Our  hopes  of  hap¬ 
piness  beyond  the  grave — of  the  resurrection  of  our 
bodies  at  the  termination  of  the  present  plan  of  pro¬ 
vidence — of  the  renovation  of  the  physical  system  of 
our  globe — of  a  complete  restoration  to  holiness  and 
virtue — of  a  reunion  with  departed  friends — of  asso¬ 
ciating  with  virtuous  beings  of  a  superior  order — of 
mingling  in  a  happier  world  with  all  those  illustrious 
saints  who  have  gone  before  us — of  contemplating 
the  manifestations  of  Deity  on  a  more  extensive 
scale — and  of  enjoying  unmixed  felicity,  without  in¬ 
terruption  and  without  end,— depend  upon  the  tes¬ 
timony  of  the  inspired  writers,  and  the  light  in  which 
we  view  the  truths  or  declarations  they  have  re¬ 
corded.  And  therefore,  the  man  who  endeavours  to 
undermine  the  authority  of  the  sacred  records,  or  to 
distort  or  misrepresent  their  meaning  by  sophistical 
reasonings,  ought  to  be  viewed  as  a  deceiver,  and  as 
an  enemy  to  his  species,  who  wishes  to  deprive  his 
fellow-men  of  their  most  substantial  enjoyments,  and 
of  their  most  cheering  prospects. 

Again,  truth  and  veracity  are  of  the  utmost  im- 


IMPORTANCE  OF  TRUTH. 


349 


portance  in  relation  to  the  views  we  ought  to  take  of 
the  character  of  God .  The  moral  character  of  the 
Deity  is  delineated  in  the  Scriptures,  and  we  are  en¬ 
abled  to  contemplate  this  character,  in  its  true  light, 
in  so  far  as  we  understand  and  appreciate  the  delinea¬ 
tions  of  the  sacred  writers.  But  his  character  is  also 
exhibited  in  the  works  of  creation  and  providence. 
Every  physical  law  of  nature,  every  arrangement  in 
the  matei'ial  system,  every  movement  which  exists  in 
the  universe ;  every  apparent  deviation  from  the  gen¬ 
eral  course  of  nature,  as  in  the  case  of  earthquakes 
and  volcanoes;  every  event  in  the  history  of  nations, 
every  fact  in  relation  to  the  physical  and  moral  con¬ 
dition  of  the  different  tribes  of  the  human  race,  and 
every  arrangement  in  reference  to  the  lower  ranks  of 
animated  beings — embodies  in  it  an  exhibition  of 
certain  aspects  of  the  Divine  character ;  and  these 
aspects,  if  fairly  represented,  ought  to  harmonize  with 
the  delineations  contained  in  the  sacred  records.  To 
ascertain  such  facts  as  those  to  which  I  allude,  re¬ 
quires,  in  many  instances,  the  exercise  of  profound 
reasoning  and  of  accurate  investigation,  that  the 
mind  should  be  free  from  the  influence  of  prejudice 
and  of  every  improper  bias,  and  that  the  facts,  when 
ascertained,  be  fairly  represented,  and  accurately  re¬ 
corded  ;  otherwise,  nothing  but  a  distorted  view  of 
the  Divine  character  will  be  exhibited  to  the  mind. 
For  example,  if  the  earth  be  represented  as  among 
the  largest  bodies  in  nature,  and  as  placed  at  rest  in 
the  centre  of  the  universe,  and  that  the  sun,  moon, 
and  all  the  other  celestial  orbs  revolve  around  it 
every  day ;  and  consequently,  that  the  planetary 
bodies  move  in  orbits  which  display  inextricable  con- 


350 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


fusion — such  a  representation  is  not  a  true  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  the  God  of  heaven,  but  a  phantom  of  our  own 
imaginations ;  and,  if  carried  out  to  all  its  legitimate 
consequences,  would  involve  an  impeachment  of  the 
wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the  Deity,  and  of  the 
sublime  simplicity  and  order  which  characterize  his 
operations  in  the  universe.  If  the  planet  Saturn  be 
represented  as  a  globe  900  times  larger  than  the 
earth,  and  surrounded  with  a  ring  600,000  miles  in 
circumference,  it  conveys  a  very  different  idea  of  the 
majesty  of  the  Divine  Being  who  formed  it,  from  what 
we  are  led  to  entertain,  when  we  consider  it  as  only 
a  taper,  or  a  brilliant  stud,  fixed  in  the  vault  of  hea¬ 
ven.  If  the  eye  of  a  fly  be  exhibited  as  containing 
ten  thousand  transparent  globes,  nicely  adjusted  for 
the  purpose  of  vision,  it  displays  the  character  of  its 
Maker  in  a  different  light  from  that  in  which  we 
might  be  disposed  to  view  it,  when  this  animal  is  re¬ 
presented  as  a  nuisance  in  creation,  and  designed 
only  to  be  mangled  and  tortured  by  a  cruel  and  un¬ 
thinking  school-boy. 

In  some  instances,  the  inaccurate  statement  of  a 
physical  fact ,  or  the  false  colouring  put  upon  it,  may 
have  a  tendency  to  endanger  the  eternal  interests  of 
mankind.  Mr.  Brydone,  in  his  “  Tour  through 
Sicily,”  states,  on  the  authority  of  a  priest  named 
Recupero,  that,  in  sinking  a  pit  near  Jaci,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Mount  Etna,  “  they  pierced 
through  seven  distinct  lavas,  one  under  the  other, 
the  surfaces  of  which  were  parallel,  and  most  of  them 
covered  with  a  bed  of  thick  earth.”  From  suppo¬ 
sitions  founded  on  questionable  data,  he  concluded, 
that  “  it  requires  2000  years  or  upwards  to  form  but 


IMPORTANCE  OF  TRUTH. 


351 


a  scanty  soil  on  the  surface  of  a  lava,”  and,  conse¬ 
quently,  that  “  the  eruption  which  formed  the  low¬ 
est  of  these  lavas,  must  have  flowed  from  the  moun¬ 
tain  at  least  14,000  years  ago.”  This  pretended 
fact  was,  for  a  while,  triumphantly  exhibited  by 
sceptics,  as  an  unanswerable  argument  against  the 
truth  of  the  Mosaic  history ;  and  its  publication  has, 
no  doubt,  tended  to  stagger  weak  minds,  and  to  con¬ 
firm  the  infidel  in  his  prejudices  against  the  truth  of 
Revelation.  But  it  has  been  shown  by  eminent 
geologists,  that  the  facts  alluded  to  are  grossly  mis¬ 
stated,  and  that  no  vegetable  mould  exists  between 
these  beds  of  lava;  and  consequently,  the  argument 
founded  upon  them  goes  for  nothing.  Mr.  Bry- 
done  himself,  in  the  very  same  volume  in  which  these 
pretended  facts  are  stated,  before  he  had  advanced 
twenty  pages  farther  in  his  account  of  the  regions 
about  Mount  Etna,  states  a  fact  which  completely 
overturns  all  his  preceding  reasonings  and  calcula¬ 
tions.  In  describing  the  country  near  Hybla,  as 
having  been  <c  overwhelmed  by  the  lava  of  Etna, 
and  having  then  become  totally  barren,”  he  adds, 
“  In  a  second  eruption,  by  a  shower  of  ashes  from 
the  mountain,  it  soon  reassumed  its  ancient  beauty 
and  fertility.”  So  that  it  is  here  admitted,  that, 
instead  of  requiring  a  period  of  2000  years,  a  bed  of 
lava  may  speedily  be  transformed  into  a  beautiful 
and  fertile  region.  But  even  although  such  facts 
were  fairly  represented, — yea,  although  Mr.  Bry- 
done  and  the  Canon  Recupero  could  have  proved,  to 
a  demonstration,  that  the  strata  of  the  earth  is  not 
only  fourteen  thousand,  but  fourteen  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  years  old,  it  would  not  in  the  least  invalidate  a 


352 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


single  assertion  contained  in  the  Mosaic  history ;  for 
Moses  describes  only  the  arrangement  of  the  earth 
into  its  present  form,  but  nowhere  asserts,  that  the 
materials  of  which  our  globe  is  composed  were  cre¬ 
ated,  or  brought  out  of  nothing,  at  the  period  at 
which  his  history  commences.  The  circumstance, 
however,  to  which  I  have  now  adverted,  shows  us  of 
how  much  importance  it  is,  in  many  cases,  that  even 
a  physical  fact  be  fairly  stated,  as  well  as  the  moral 
facts  and  the  doctrines  recorded  in  the  Scriptures. 
For,  since  every  fact  in  the  economy  of  nature,  and 
in  the  history  of  providence,  exhibits  a  certain  por¬ 
tion  of  the  Divine  character,  a  very  different  view  of 
this  character  will  be  exhibited,  according  to  the  dif¬ 
ferent  lights  in  which  we  view  the  divine  operations. 
And  therefore,  every  one  who  wilfully  misrepresents 
a  physical  fact  or  law  of  nature,  is  a  deceiver,  who 
endeavours  to  exhibit  a  distorted  view  of  the  char¬ 
acter  of  the  Deity.  It  is  nothing  less  than  a  man 
“  bearing  false  witness”  against  his  Maker. 

Again,  veracity  is  of  infinite  importance  in  re¬ 
ference  to  our  future  improvement  in  the  eternal 
world.  In  that  world,  we  have  every  reason  to 
believe,  our  knowledge  of  the  attributes  of  God 
will  be  enlarged,  and  our  views  of  the  range  of  his 
operations  in  creation  and  providence  extended  far 
beyond  the  limits  to  which  they  are  now  confined. 
But  the  Divine  Being  himself,  from  the  immaterial¬ 
ity  and  immensity  of  his  nature,  will  remain  for  ever 
invisible  to  all  finite  intelligences;  and  hence  he  is 
described  by  the  Apostle,  as  “  the  King  Eternal, 
Immortal,  and  Invisible,  whom  no  man  hath  seen  or 
can  see.”  It  is,  therefore,  not  only  probable,  but 


IMPORTANCE  OF  TRUTH. 


353 


absolutely  certain,  that  a  great  portion,  perhaps  the 
greatest  portion  of  our  knowledge  in  that  state,  will 
be  derived  from  the  communications  of  other  intelli¬ 
gences.  With  intellectual  beings  of  a  higher  order 
we  shall  hold  the  most  intimate  converse;  for  we  are 
informed,  that  “just  men  made  perfect  ”  will  join 
“  the  innumerable  company  of  angels.”  These  be¬ 
ings  are  endued  with  capacious  powers  of  intellect, 
and  have  long  been  exercising  them  on  the  most 
exalted  objects.  As  messengers  from  the  King  of 
heaven  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  they  have 
frequently  winged  their  way  through  the  celestial 
regions,  and  surveyed  many  of  those  glorious  sys¬ 
tems  which  lie  hid  from  the  view  of  mortals.  We 
have  every  reason  to  believe,  that  they  have  acquired 
expansive  views  of  the  dispensations  of  the  Almighty, 
not  only  in  relation  to  man,  but  in  relation  to  numer¬ 
ous  worlds  and  intelligences  in  different  provinces  of 
the  empire  of  God.  And  therefore,  they  must  be 
admirably  qualified  to  impart  ample  stores  of  infor¬ 
mation  on  the  sublimest  subjects,  to  the  redeemed 
inhabitants  from  our  world.  From  the  communica¬ 
tions  of  these  intelligences  we  may  derive  informa¬ 
tion  of  the  order  and  arrangements  of  other  systems; 
of  the  natural  scenery  of  other  worlds  ;  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  orders  of  intellectual  beings  who  people  them; 
of  the  means  by  which  they  are  carried  forward  in 
moral  and  intellectual  improvement ;  of  the  most  re¬ 
markable  events  which  have  happened  in  the  course 
of  their  history ;  of  the  peculiar  displays  of  divine 
glory  that  may  be  made  to  them,  and  of  the  various 
changes  through  which  they  may  have  passed  in  the 
course  of  the  divine  dispensations. 


354 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


But  the  utility  of  such  sublime  communications, 
and  the  delightful  transports  with  which  they  will  be 
accompanied,  will  entirely  depend  upon  the  immu¬ 
table  veracity  of  those  moral  intelligences  who  shall 
be  employed  in  conveying  information  respecting  the 
divine  operations.  No  fictitious  scenes  and  narra¬ 
tions  will  be  invented,  as  in  our  degenerate  world,  to 
astonish  a  gaping  crowd  ;  nothing  but  unvarnished 
truth  will  be  displayed  in  that  world  of  light;  and  the 
real  scenes  which  will  be  displayed,  will  infinitely 
transcend,  in  beauty,  in  grandeur,  and  in  interest,  all 
that  the  most  fertile  imagination  can  conceive.  w  ere 

o 

a  single  falsehood  to  be  told  in  heaven,  were  the 
tongue  of  an  archangel  to  misrepresent  a  single  fact 
in  the  divine  economy,  or  were  the  least  suspicion  to 
exist  that  truth  might  be  violated  in  such  communi¬ 
cations,  the  mutual  confidence  of  celestial  intelli¬ 
gences  would  instantly  be  shaken  ;  and,  from  that 
moment,  their  intercourse  and  their  happiness  would 
be  destroyed.  Hence,  we  are  repeatedly  told,  in  the 
book  of  Revelation,  that  C£  Whosoever  loveth,  or 
maketh  a  lie,  shall  in  nowise  enter  within  the  gates 
of  the  new  Jerusalem.”  And  therefore,  every  one 
who  expects  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  happy  world, 
ought  now  to  cultivate  a  strict  regard  to  veracity  in 
all  his  researches,  intercourses,  and  communications  ; 
otherwise  he  cannot  be  admitted,  from  the  very  con¬ 
stitution  of  things,  to  the  society  of  saints  and  angels 
in  the  realms  of  bliss. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  truth  is  of  the  utmost  im¬ 
portance  to  all  rational  beings,  as  it  forms  the  source 
of  our  knowledge,  the  foundation  of  all  social  inter¬ 
course,  the  ground  of  our  present  comfort  and  future 


VIOLATIONS  OF  TRUTH. 


355 


prospects,  the  basis  of  all  the  views  we  can  take  of 
the  divine  character  and  operations,  and  of  all  our 
prospects  of  future  improvement  in  the  eternal  world. 
It  is  the  bond  of  union  among-  all  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven;  it  is  the  chain  which  connects  the  whole 
moral  universe ;  and  it  constitutes  the  immutable 
basis  on  which  rests  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. 

In  the  depraved  society  of  our  world,  truth  is 
violated  in  a  thousand  different  ways.  It  is  violated 
in  thoughts,  in  words,  in  oral  discourses,  in  writings, 
in  printed  books,  by  gestures  and  by  signs,  by  speak¬ 
ing  and  by  remaining  silent.  It  is  violated  in  re¬ 
ference  to  the  character  of  our  neighbour ,  when  we 
invent  tales  of  falsehood  respecting  him;  when  we 
listen  with  pleasure  to  such  tales  when  told  by  others ; 
when  we  sit  mute,  and  refuse  to  vindicate  his  char¬ 
acter  when  it  is  unjustly  aspersed;  when  we  endeavour 
to  aggravate  the  circumstances  which  may  have  ac¬ 
companied  any  criminal  action;  when  we  make  no 
allowances  for  the  force  of  temptation,  and  the  pe¬ 
culiar  circumstances  in  which  the  criminal  may  have 
been  placed;  when  we  fix  upon  an  insulated  act  of 
vice  or  folly,  and  apply  it  to  our  neighbour  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  character ;  when  we  rake  up,  with  a  malevolent 
design,  an  action  which  he  has  long  since  reprobated 
and  repented  of ;  when  his  character  is  made  the 
subject  of  jest  or  merriment;  and  when,  by  smiles, 
and  noddings,  and  gestures,  we  insinuate  any  thing 
injurious  to  his  reputation.  It  is  violated  in  •pro¬ 
mises^  when  we  promise  either  what  we  have  no 
intention  of  performing,  or  what  we  had  no  right  to 
promise,  or  what  is  out  of  our  power  to  perform,  or 
what  would  be  unlawful  for  us  to  execute.  It  is 


356 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


violated  in  threatenings ,  when  we  neglect  to  put 
them  in  execution,  or  when  we  threaten  to  inflict 
what  would  be  either  cruel  or  unjust.  It  is  violated 
in  history,  when  the  principal  facts  are  blended  with 
doubtful  or  fictitious  circumstances;  when  the  con¬ 
duct  of  liars  and  intriguers,  of  public  robbers  and 
murderers,  is  varnished  over  with  the  false  glare  of 
heroism  and  of  glory  ;  and  when  the  actions  of  up¬ 
right  men  are,  without  sufficient  evidence,  attributed 
to  knavery  or  to  the  influence  of  fanaticism  ;  when 
the  writer  construes  actions  and  events,  and  attri¬ 
butes  to  the  actors  motives  and  designs,  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  his  own  prejudices  and  passions,  and  in¬ 
terweaves  his  opinions  and  deductions,  as  if  they 
were  a  portion  of  the  authenticated  records  of  his¬ 
torical  fact.  It  is  violated  in  the  invention  of ficti¬ 
tious  narratives,  and  in  the  relation  of  marvellous 
stories,  when  the  system  of  nature  is  distorted,  his¬ 
torical  facts  caricatured,  misrepresented,  and  blended 
with  the  vagaries  of  a  romantic  imagination ;  when 
scenes,  events,  and  circumstances,  “  which  never  did 
nor  can  take  place,”  are  presented  to  the  view,  merely 
to  convey  a  transient  gratification  to  trifling  and  in¬ 
dolent  minds. 

It  is  violated  by  men  of  science ,  when  they  give 
an  inaccurate  statement  of  the  results  of  their  obser¬ 
vations  and  experiments;  when,  either  through  care¬ 
lessness  or  design,  they  give  an  unfair  representation 
of  the  facts  and  principles  in  nature,  in  order  to 
support  a  favourite  system  or  hypothesis;  and  when 
they  studiously  keep  out  of  view  the  various  circum¬ 
stances  in  which  every  fact  should  be  contemplated. 
It  is  violatod  in  the  literary  world,  when  the  edi- 


VIOLATIONS  OF  TRUTH. 


357 


tor  of  a  magazine  or  a  review  writes  an  article,  and 
addresses  it  to  himself  as  if  it  came  from  the  pen  of 
another;  when,  for  the  sake  of  “filthy  lucre,”  or  to 
gratify  a  friend,  he  bestows  encomiums  on  a  work 
which  is  unworthy  of  the  attention  of  the  public  ;  or 
when,  to  gratify  a  mean  or  revengeful  passion,  he 
misrepresents  or  abuses  the  literary  productions  of 
his  opponents;  or  when  an  author  writes  a  review  of 
his  own  work,  and  imposes  it  on  the  public,  as  if  it 
were  the  decision  of  an  impartial  critic.  It  is  vio¬ 
lated  by  controversialists ,  when  they  bring  forward, 
in  support  of  any  position,  arguments  which  they  are 
conscious  are  either  weak  or  unsound;  when  they 
appear  more  anxious  to  display  their  skill  and  dex¬ 
terity,  and  to  obtain  a  victory  over  their  adversaries, 
than  to  vindicate  the  cause  of  truth ;  when  sneers, 
sarcasms,  and  personal  reproaches,  are  substituted  in 
the  room  of  substantial  arguments;  when  they  mis¬ 
represent  the  sentiments  of  their  opponents,  by  stat¬ 
ing  them  in  terms  which  materially  alter  their  mean¬ 
ing  ;  and  when  they  palm  upon  them  doctrines  and 
opinions  which  they  entirely  disavow. 

It  is  violated  in  commercial  transactions ,  when 
deteriorated  goods  are  varnished  over  with  a  fair 
outside,  and  puffed  off  as  if  they  were  saleable  and 
sound  ;  when  a  merchant  asks  more  than  he  is  will¬ 
ing  to  take  for  any  commodity;  when  he  depreciates 
the  commodities  of  his  neighbour ;  when  he  under¬ 
values  whatever  he  is  purchasing,  and  makes  an 
overcharge  for  the  articles  of  which  he  is  disposing; 
when  he  denies  the  goods  he  has  in  his  possession, 
when  there  is  the  prospect  of  an  advancing  price, — 
and  in  a  thousand  other  ways,  best  known  to  the 


358 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nefarious  trader.  It  is  violated  by  persons  in  every 
department  of  life,  not  only  when  they  utter  what 
they  know  to  he  false,  hut  when  they  profess  to  de¬ 
clare  the  whole  truth,  and  keep  back  part  of  it  with 
an  intention  to  deceive ;  when  they  make  use  of  a 
proposition  that  is  literally  true,  in  order  to  convey 
a  falsehood  when  they  flatter  the  vanity  of  weak 
minds ;  when  they  ascribe  to  their  friends  or  to 
others  good  qualities  which  do  not  belong  to  them, 
or  refuse  to  acknowledge  those  accomplishments  of 
which  they  are  possessed;  when  they  endeavour  to 
cajole  children  into  obedience,  by  promising  what  they 
never  intend  to  perform,  and  threatening  what  they 
never  intend  to  inflict ;  and  when  they  indulge  in  a 
habit  of  exaggeration,  in  the  account  they  give  of  their 
adventures,  and  of  the  things  which  they  have  seen 
or  heard. 

Truth  is  violated  by  signs ,  as  well  as  by  wTords  : 
as,  when  we  point  with  our  finger  in  a  wrong  di¬ 
rection,  when  a  traveller  is  inquiring  about  the  road 
he  should  take ;  when  a  British  ship  hoists  Spanish 
colours ;  when  flags  of  truce  are  violated  ;  when  spies 
insinuate  themselves  into  society  as  upright  men,  for 


*  The  following  fact  will  illustrate  this  and  similar  species  of 
falsehood : — A  person,  when  selling  a  watch,  was  asked  by  the 
purchaser,  if  it  kept  time  correctly  ?  lie  was  told  by  the  owner, 
that  neither  the  hour  nor  the  minute  hand  had  reciuired  to  be  al¬ 
tered  for  more  than  a  twelvemonth.  This  was  literally  true  ; 
but  the  watch  was,  nevertheless,  a  very  bad  regulator  of  time. 
When  hung  in  a  perpendicular  position  it  went  too  slow,  and 
when  laid  in  a  horizontal  position  it  went  too  fust;  but  by  alter¬ 
nately  shifting  these  positions,  and  thus  modifying  the  rates  of 
motion,  the  hands  did  not  require  to  be  altered.  Such  assertions, 
however,  are  to  be  considered  as  direct  lies,  when  they  are  in¬ 
tended  to  convey  a  false  or  erroneous  conception,  as  in  the  instance 
now  stated. 


EVILS  ARISING  FROM  FALSEHOOD.  359 


the  purpose  of  entrapping  the  unwary  ;  when  false 
intelligence  is  communicated  to  an  enemy;  when  fires 
are  lighted  or  put  out,  in  order  to  deceive  mariners  at 
sea ;  and  when  signals  of  distress  are  counterfeited 
by  ships  at  sea,  for  the  purpose  of  decoying  into  their 
power  the  ships  of  an  enemy. 

Truth  is  violated  in  relation  to  God,  when  we 
conceal  from  those  whom  we  are  bound  to  instruct, 
the  grandeur  of  his  works,  and  the  displays  of  divine 
intelligence  and  skill  which  are  exhibited  in  his  visi¬ 
ble  operations  ;  when  we  exhibit  a  diminutive  view 
of  the  extent  and  glory  of  his  kingdom;  when  we 
give  an  inaccurate  and  distorted  representation  of  the 
laws  of  nature,  and  of  the  economy  of  the  universe  ; 
when  we  misrepresent  the  facts  which  exist  in  the 
system  of  nature,  and  which  occur  in  the  history  of 
providence  ;  when  we  call  in  question  the  truth  of 
that  revelation  which  he  has  confirmed  by  signs  and 
miracles,  and  by  the  accomplishment  of  numerous 
predictions;  when  we  misrepresent  its  facts,  its  doc¬ 
trines,  and  its  moral  requisitions;  when  we  transform 
its  historical  narrations  into  a  series  of  parables  and 
allegories ;  when  we  distort  its  literal  meaning  by 
vague  and  injudicious  spiritualizing  comments;  when 
we  fix  our  attention  solely  on  its  doctrines,  and  ne¬ 
glect  to  investigate  its  moral  precepts  ;  and  when  we 
confine  our  views  to  a  few  points  in  the  system  of 
revelation,  and  neglect  to  contemplate  its  whole  range, 
in  all  its  aspects  and  bearings. 

In  the  above,  and  in  a  thousand  other  modes,  is 
the  law  of  truth  violated  by  the  inhabitants  of  our 
world.  The  mischiefs  and  miseries  which  have  fol¬ 
lowed  its  violation,  in  reference  to  the  affairs  of  na- 


360 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tions,  to  the  private  interests  of  societies,  families, 
and  individuals,  and  to  the  everlasting  concerns  of 
mankind,  are  incalculable  and  dreadful  beyond  de¬ 
scription.  It  is  one  of  the  principal  sources  from 
which  have  sprung  the  numerous  abominations  and 
cruelties  connected  with  the  system  of  Pagan  idola¬ 
try,  the  delusions  of  Mahomet,  and  the  pretended 
miracles,  and  “  lying  wonders,”  of  that  church  which 
is  denominated  “  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abomi¬ 
nations  of  the  earth.”  It  has  been  chiefly  owing  to 
the  violation  of  this  law,  that  the  thrones  of  tyrants 
have  been  supported,  that  liberty  has  been  destroyed, 
that  public  safety  and  happiness  have  been  endan¬ 
gered,  that  empires  have  been  overturned,  that  na¬ 
tions  have  been  dashed  one  against  another,  and  that 
war  has  produced  among  the  human  race  so  many 
overwhelming  desolations.  By  the  pernicious  in¬ 
fluence  of  falsehood,  the  peace  of  families  has  been 
invaded,  their  comforts  blasted,  their  good  name 
dishonoured,  their  wealth  destroyed,  their  hopes  dis¬ 
appointed,  and  their  bright  prospects  of  happiness 
involved  in  a  cloud  of  darkness  and  despair.  By 
the  sophistry  of  unprincipled  men,  literature  and 
science  have  been  perverted,  and  the  avenues  to  sub¬ 
stantial  knowledge  rendered  difficult  and  dangerous; 
litigations  have  been  multiplied  without  number; 
human  beings  have  been  agitated,  perplexed,  and 
bewildered ;  and  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  op¬ 
pressed  and  robbed  of  their  dearest  enjoyments. 
Could  we  search  the  private  records  of  ancient  kings, 
princes,  and  legislators,  and  trace  the  deceitful  plans 
which  have  been  laid  in  palaces  and  in  cabinets — or 
could  we,  at  this  moment,  penetrate  into  all  the  in- 


EFFECTS  OF  UNIVERSAL  FALSEHOOD.  361 


trigues,  deceptions,  treacheries,  plots,  and  machina¬ 
tions,  which  are  going  forward  in  the  cabinets  of 
despots,  the  mansions  of  princes,  and  the  courts  of 
law  throughout  the  world ;  such  a  host  of  falsehoods 
and  <{  lying  abominations,”  like  an  army  of  spectres 
from  the  infernal  regions,  would  stare  us  in  the  face, 
as  would  make  us  shrink  back  with  horror  and  amaze¬ 
ment,  and  fill  us  with  astonishment  that  the  patience 
of  the  God  of  heaven  has  been  so  long  exercised  to¬ 
wards  the  inhabitants  of  such  a  depraved  and  polluted 
world. 

Let  us  now  consider  some  of  the  effects  which 
would  inevitably  follow  ivere  the  laic  of  truth  uni¬ 
versally  violated.  In  this  case  a  scene  of  horror 
and  confusion  would  ensue,  of  which  it  is  difficult  for 
the  mind  to  form  any  distinct  conception.  It  is  ob¬ 
vious,  in  the  first  place,  that  rational  beings  could 
never  improve  in  knoivledge ,  beyond  the  range  of  the 
sensitive  objects  that  happened  to  be  placed  within 
the  sphere  of  their  personal  observation.  For  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  our  knowledge  is  derived  from 
the  communications  of  others,  and  from  the  stimulus 
to  intellectual  exertion  which  such  communications 
produce. — Let  us  suppose  a  human  being  trained 
up  from  infancy,  in  a  wilderness,  by  a  bear  or  a 
wolf,  as  history  records  to  have  been  the  case  of 
several  individuals  in  the  forests  of  France,  Germany, 
and  Lithuania, — what  knowledge  could  such  a  being 
acquire  beyond  that  of  a  brute  ?  He  might  distin¬ 
guish  a  horse  from  a  cow,  and  a  man  from  a  dog, 
and  know  that  such  objects  as  trees,  shrubs,  grass, 
flowers,  and  water,  existed  around  him  ;  but  know¬ 
ledge,  strictly  so  called,  and  the  proper  exercise  of 

d.  2.  <2 


362 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


his  rational  faculties,  he  could  not  acquire,  so  long 
as  he  remained  detached  from  other  rational  beings. 
Such  would  be  our  situation,  were  falsehood  uni¬ 
versal  among  men.  We  could  acquire  a  knowledge 
of  nothing  but  what  was  obvious  to  our  senses  in  the 
objects  with  which  we  were  surrounded.  We  could 
not  know  whether  the  earth  were  twenty  miles  or 
twenty  thousand  miles  in  extent,  and  whether  oceans, 
seas,  rivers,  and  ranges  of  mountains,  existed  on  its 
surface,  unless  we  had  made  the  tour  of  it  in  person, 
and,  with  our  own  eyes,  surveyed  the  various  objects 
it  contains.  Of  course,  we  should  remain  in  abso¬ 
lute  ignorance  of  the  existence  and  attributes  of  God, 
of  the  moral  relations  of  intelligent  beings  to  their 
Creator  and  to  one  another,  and  of  the  realities  of  a 
future  state.  For  it  is  only,  or  chiefly,  through 
the  medium  of  testimony ,  combined  with  the  evidence 
of  our  senses,  that  we  acquire  a  knowledge  of  such 
truths  and  objects. 

In  the  next  place,  all  confidence  among  intelligent 
beings  would  be  completely  destroyed.  Disappoint¬ 
ment  would  invariably  attend  every  purpose  and  re¬ 
solution,  and  every  scheme  we  wished  to  execute, 
if  it  depended  in  the  least  degree  upon  the  direction 
or  assistance  of  others.  We  durst  not  taste  an  ar¬ 
ticle  of  food  which  we  received  from  another,  lest  it 
should  contain  poison ;  nor  could  we  ever  construct 
a  house  to  shelter  us  from  the  storm,  unless  our  own 
physical  powers  were  adequate  to  the  work.  Were 
we  living  in  Edinburgh,  we  could  never  go  to  Mus¬ 
selburgh  or  Dalkeith,  if  we  were  previously  ignorant 
of  the  situation  of  these  places  ;  or  were  we  residing 
in  London,  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  ever  to  find 


EFFECTS  OF  UNIVERSAL  FALSEHOOD. 


363 


our  way  to  Homerton  or  Hampstead,  unless,  after  a 
thousand  attempts,  chance  should  happen  to  direct 
us  ;  and,  when  we  arrived  at  either  of  these  villages, 
we  should  still  be  in  as  much  uncertainty  as  ever 
whether  it  was  the  place  to  which  we  intended  to 
direct  our  steps.  Confidence  being  destroyed,  there 
could  be  no  friendship,  no  affectionate  intercourse, 
no  social  converse,  no  consolation  in  the  hour  of  dis¬ 
tress,  no  hopes  of  deliverance  in  the  midst  of  danger, 
and  no  prospect  of  the  least  enjoyment  from  any 
being  around  us.  In  such  a  case,  the  mind  would 
feel  itself  as  in  a  wilderness,  even  when  surrounded 
by  fellow-intelligences  ;  and  wherever  it  roamed  over 
the  expanse  of  nature,  or  among  the  mass  of  living 
beings  around  it,  it  would  meet  with  no  affectionate 
interchange  of  feelings  and  sentiments,  and  no  ob¬ 
ject  on  which  it  could  rest  for  solace  and  enjoyment. 
Every  one  would  feel  as  if  he  were  placed  in  the 
midst  of  an  infinite  void,  and  as  if  he  were  the  only 
being  residing  in  the  universe.  In  such  a  case,  we 
would  flee  from  the  society  of  men,  as  from  a  lion  or 
a  tiger  when  rushing  on  his  prey;  and  hide  ourselves 
in  dens,  and  forests,  and  caverns  of  the  earth,  till 
death  should  put  a  period  to  a  cheerless  and  miserable 
existence. 

All  social  intercourses  and  relations  would  cease, 
— families  could  not  possibly  exist,  nor  any  affec¬ 
tionate  intercourse  between  the  sexes;  for  truth  and 
the  confidence  which  is  founded  upon  it,  are  implied 
in  all  the  intercourses  of  husbands  and  wives,  of 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  of  parents  and  children  ; — 
and  consequently,  the  human  race,  dropping  into  the 
grave,  one  after  another,  like  the  leaves  of  autumn, 

o  2 

rv 


364 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


without  any  successors,  would,  in  a  short  time,  be 
extirpated  from  the  earth.  In  such  a  state,  kindness 
and  affection  would  never  be  exercised ;  trade  and 
commerce,  buying  and  selling,  social  compacts  and 
agreements,  would  be  annihilated  ;  science,  literature, 
and  the  arts,  could  not  exist ;  and  consequently, 
universities,  colleges,  churches,  academies,  schools, 
and  every  other  seminary  of  instruction,  would  be 
unknown.  No  villages,  towns,  nor  cities  would  be 
built ;  no  fields  cultivated ;  no  orchards,  vineyards, 
nor  gardens  planted ;  no  intercourse  would  exist  be¬ 
tween  different  regions  of  the  globe;  and  nothing 
but  one  dreary  barren  waste  would  be  presented  to 
the  eye,  throughout  the  whole  expanse  of  nature. 
So  that,  were  truth  completely  banished  from  the 
earth,  it  would  present  a  picture  of  that  dark  and 
dismal  region  where  “  all  liars  have  their  portion 
where  all  are  deceivers  and  deceived,  and  where  the 
hopeless  mind  roams  amidst  innumerable  false  intel¬ 
ligences,  for  one  ray  of  comfort,  or  one  confidential 
spirit  in  which  it  may  confide,  but  roams  in  vain. 

In  short,  were  truth  banished  not  only  from  this 
world,  but  from  the  universe  at  large,  creation  would 
be  transformed  into  a  chaos ;  the  bond  which  now 
connects  angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and  sera¬ 
phim  in  one  harmonious  union,  would  be  for  ever 
dissolved ;  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds  would  be 
thrown  into  a  state  of  universal  anarchy ;  they  would 
shun  each  other’s  society,  and  remain  as  so  many 
cheerless  and  insulated  wretches,  amidst  the  gloom 
and  desolations  of  universal  nature  :  all  improvement 
in  knowledge,  and  all  progressive  advances  towards 
moral  perfection,  would  be  for  ever  interrupted  :  and 


EFFECTS  OF  UNIVERSAL  FALSEHOOD. 


365 


happiness  banished  from  the  whole  intelligent  system. 
Every  mind  would  become  the  seat  of  terror  and 
suspense,  and  would  be  haunted  with  frightful  spec¬ 
tres  and  dreadful  expectations.  The  government  of 
the  Eternal  would  be  subverted,  the  moral  order  of 
the  intelligent  system  overturned  ;  all  subordination 
would  cease,  and  misery  would  reign  uncontrolled 
throughout  every  region  of  intellectual  existence. 
For  truth  is  implied  in  the  principle  of  love;  it  is  es¬ 
sential  to  its  existence,  so  that  the  one  cannot  operate 
except  on  the  basis  of  the  other  ;  and  we  have  already 
shown,  that  the  destruction  of  love  would  be  the  de¬ 
struction  of  all  order,  and  of  all  happiness  among  in¬ 
telligent  beings. 

o  O 

Such  are  some  of  the  dreadful  effects  which  would 
inevitably  follow,  were  the  law  under  consideration 
reversed,  or  universally  violated.  In  our  world,  this 
law  has  hitherto  been  only  'partially  violated ;  yet 
what  dreadful  mischiefs,  beyond  calculation,  and  even 
beyond  conception,  has  its  frequent  violation  created  ! 
Ever  since  that  moment  when  “  the  father  of  lies” 
deceived  the  first  human  pair,  how  many  thousands 
of  millions  of  liars  have  trodden  in  his  footsteps  ! 
and  what  a  host  of  falsehoods  has  followed  in  their 
train,  which  have  destroyed  the  harmony  of  the  moral 
system,  and  robbed  the  world  of  happiness  and  re¬ 
pose  !  Yet  how  little  are  we  affected  by  the  fre¬ 
quent  violations  of  this  law  !  and  how  seldom  do  we 
reflect,  that  every  falsehood  we  unadvisedly  utter,  is 
an  infringement  of  that  law  on  which  rest  the  throne 
of  the  Almighty,  and  the  eternal  happiness  of  the 
universe  !  For  if  one  lie  may  be  palliated  or  vin¬ 
dicated,  on  the  same  principle  we  might  vindicate  a 


366 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


thousand,  and  a  million,  and  millions  of  millions,  till 
falsehood  became  universal  among  all  ranks  of  be¬ 
ings,  and  till  the  moral  order  of  the  intelligent  crea- 
tion  was  completely  subverted.  Of  how  much  im¬ 
portance  is  it  then,  that  an  inviolable  attachment  to 
truth,  in  its  minutest  ramifications,  be  early  impressed 
upon  the  minds  of  the  young,  by  persuasion,  by  pre¬ 
cept,  by  example,  by  reasoning,  and  by  a  vivid  re¬ 
presentation  of  its  importance,  and  of  its  inestimable 
benefits  !  and  how  careful  should  we  be  to  preserve 
them  from  all  incentives  to  the  practice  of  lying,  and 
especially  from  the  company  of  those  “whose  mouth 
speaketh  vanity,  and  their  right  hand  is  a  right  hand 
of  falsehood  !” 

W  ere  falsehood  universally  detested,  and  the  love 
of  truth  universally  cherished,  were  a  single  lie  never 
more  to  be  uttered  by  any  inhabitant  of  this  globe, 
what  a  mighty  change  would  be  effected  in  the  con¬ 
dition  of  mankind,  and  what  a  glorious  radiance 
would  be  diffused  over  all  the  movements  of  the 
intelligent  system  !  The  whole  host  of  liars,  per¬ 
jurers,  sharpers,  seducers,  slanderers,  tale-bearers, 
quacks,  thieves,  swindlers,  harpies,  fraudulent  dealers, 
false  friends,  flatterers,  corrupt  judges,  sophists,  hy¬ 
pocrites,  and  religious  impostors,  with  the  countless 
multitude  of  frauds,  impositions,  falsehoods,  and  dis¬ 
tresses  which  have  followed  in  their  train,  would  in¬ 
stantly  disappear  from  among  men.  The  beams  of 
truth,  penetrating  through  the  mists  of  ignorance, 
error,  and  perplexity,  which  have  so  long  enveloped 
the  human  mind,  would  diffuse  a  lustre  and  cheerful¬ 
ness  on  the  face  of  the  moral  world,  like  the  mild 
radiance  of  the  morning  after  a  night  of  darkness 


EFFECTS  OF  UNIVERSAL  VERACITY. 


367 


and  tempest.  Confidence  would  be  restored  through¬ 
out  every  department  of  social  life ;  jealousy,  sus¬ 
picion,  and  distrust,  would  no  longer  rankle  in  the 
human  breast ;  and  unfeigned  affection,  fidelity,  and 
friendship,  would  unite  the  whole  brotherhood  of 
mankind.  With  what  a  beautiful  simplicity,  and 
with  what  smoothness  and  harmony,  would  the  world 
of  trade  move  onward  in  all  its  transactions  !  How 
many  cares  and  anxieties  would  vanish  !  how  many 
perplexities  would  cease  !  and  how  many  ruinous 
litigations  would  be  prevented  !  For  the  violation 
of  truth  may  be  considered  as  the  chief  cause  of 
all  those  disputes  respecting  property,  which  have 
plunged  so  many  families  into  suspense  and  wretched¬ 
ness.  The  tribunals  of  justice  would  be  purified 
from  every  species  of  sophistry  and  deceit ;  and  the 
promises  of  kings,  and  the  leagues  of  nations,  would 
be  held  sacred  and  inviolate.  Science  would  rapidly 
advance  towards  perfection ;  for,  as  all  its  principles 
and  doctrines  are  founded  upon  facts, — when  truth  is 
universally  held  inviolable,  the  facts  on  which  it  is 
built  would  always  be  fairly  represented.  Every  fact 
asserted  by  voyagers  and  travellers,  in  relation  to  the 
physical  or  the  moral  world,  and  every  detail  of  ex¬ 
periments  made  by  tbe  chemist  and  the  philosopher, 
would  form  a  sure  groundwork  for  the  development 
of  truth,  and  the  detection  of  error,  without  the  least 
suspicion  arising  in  the  mind  respecting  the  veracity 
of  the  persons  on  whose  testimony  we  rely.  For 
want  of  this  confidence,  the  mind  has  been  perplexed 
and  distracted  by  the  jarring  statements  of  travellers, 
naturalists,  and  historians ;  false  theories  have  been 
framed ;  systems  have  been  reared  on  the  baseless 


368 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


fabric  of  a  vision  ;  the  foundations  of  science  have 
been  shaken,  its  utility  called  in  question,  and  its 
most  sublime  discoveries  overlooked  and  disregarded. 

Inline,  the  clouds  which  now  obscure  many  of  the 
sublime  objects  of  religion,  and  the  realities  of  a 
future  world,  would  be  dispelled  were  falsehood 
unknown,  and  truth  beheld  in  its  native  light ;  and 
religion,  purified  from  every  mixture  of  error  and 
delusion,  would  appear  arrayed  in  its  own  heavenly 
radiance,  and  attract  the  love  and  admiration  of  men. 
When  exhibited  in  its  native  grandeur  and  simpli¬ 
city,  all  doubts  respecting  its  divine  origin  would  soon 
evanish  from  the  mind — the  beauty  and  sublimity 
of  its  doctrines  would  be  recognised  as  worthy  of  its 
Author — and  all  its  moral  requisitions  perceived  to  be 
“  holy,  just,  and  good,”  and  calculated  to  promote 
the  order  and  the  everlasting  happiness  of  the  intelli¬ 
gent  universe.  Divine  truth  irradiating  every  mind, 
and  accompanied  with  the  emanations  of  heavenly 
love,  would  dispel  the  gloom  which  now  hangs  over 
many  sincere  and  pious  minds ;  would  unite  man  to 
man,  and  man  to  God ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  this 
world,  freed  from  every  doubt,  error,  and  perplexity, 
would  move  forward  in  harmony  and  peace,  to  join 
“the  innumerable  company  of  angels,  and  the  general 
assembly  of  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  whose 
names  are  written  in  heaven.” 


TENDENCY  OF  COVETOUSNESS. 


369 


THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 

“  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour  s  house,  thou  shalt 
not  covet  thy  neighbour  s  wife,  nor  his  man-servant, 
nor  his  maid-servant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any 
thing  that  is  thy  neighbour  s.” 

Every  precept  of  the  law  to  which  I  have  hitherto 
adverted,  has  a  reference  not  only  to  the  external 
conduct  of  moral  agents,  but  also  to  the  internal 
motives  or  principles  from  which  that  conduct  pro¬ 
ceeds.  This  is  evident  from  the  considerations 
already  stated,  and  from  the  whole  tenor  of  Divine 
Revelation; — and  it  is  in  unison  with  the  common 
sense  of  mankind,  that  the  merit  or  demerit  of  any 
action  is  to  be  estimated,  according  to  the  intention 
of  the  actor,  and  the  disposition  from  which  it  flows. 
That  no  doubt  may  remain  on  this  point,  the  Su¬ 
preme  Legislator  closes  the  Decalogue  with  a  com¬ 
mand,  which  has  a  reference  solely  to  the  desires 
and  dispositions  of  the  mind:  “Thou  shalt  not  covet.” 
Covetousness  consists  in  an  inordinate  desire  of 
earthly  objects  and  enjoyments.  This  desire,  when 
uniformly  indulged,  leads  to  a  breach  of  almost  every 
other  precept  of  the  divine  law;  and  is  the  source  of 
more  than  one-half  of  all  the  evils  which  afflict  the 
human  race.  It  leads  to  a  breach  of  the  eighth 
command,  by  exciting  either  to  fraudulent  dealings, 
or  to  direct  acts  of  theft  and  robbery.  It  leads  to  a 
breach  of  the  ninth  command,  by  cherishing  the 
principle  of  falsehood  which  is  implied  in  every  frau¬ 
dulent  transaction.  It  leads  to  a  violation  of  the 

23 


370 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


sixth  command,  by  engendering  a  spirit  of  revenge 
against  those  who  stand  in  the  way  of  its  gratifica¬ 
tion  ;  and  by  exciting  the  covetous  man  to  the  com¬ 
mission  of  murder,  in  order  to  accomplish  his  avar¬ 
icious  desires.  It  also  leads  to  a  violation  of  the 
seventh  command;  for  when  one  “covets  his  neigh¬ 
bour’s  wife,”  the  next  step  is  to  endeavour  to  with¬ 
draw  her  affection  from  her  husband,  and  to  plunge 
a  family  into  distress.  It  also  leads  to  a  viola¬ 
tion  of  the  fifth  precept  of  the  law,  not  only  as  it 
steels  the  heart  against  those  kindly  filial  affec¬ 
tions  which  children  ought  to  exercise  towards  their 
parents,  but  as  it  excites  them  to  withhold  from  their 
parents,  when  in  old  age  and  in  distress,  those  exter¬ 
nal  comforts  which  are  requisite  to  their  happiness, 
and  which  it  is  the  duty  of  affectionate  children  to 
provide.  And,  when  covetousness  has  thus  led  to 
the  breach  of  every  other  precept  of  the  second  table 
of  the  law,  it  follows  that  all  the  precepts  of  the  first 
table  are  also  virtually  violated.  For  all  the  com¬ 
mandments  of  the  first  table  are  briefly  summed  up 
in  this  comprehensive  precept — “  Thou  shalt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  but  it  is  ob¬ 
viously  impossible,  nay  it  would  be  a  contradiction 
in  terms,  to  suppose,  that  supreme  love  to  the  Crea¬ 
tor  can  reside  in  the  same  breast  in  which  an  inordi¬ 
nate  desire  of  worldly  enjoyments  reigns  uncontrolled, 
and  in  which  love  to  man  has  no  existence.  So  that 
covetousness  may  be  considered  as  the  great  barrier 
which  separates  man  from  his  Maker,  and  also  as  the 
polluted  fountain  from  whence  flow  all  the  moral  abo¬ 
minations  and  miseries  of  mankind. 

The  more  obvious  and  direct  manifestation  of  this 


EFFECTS  OF  AVARICE. 


371 


principle  is  generally  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
avarice ,  or,  an  inordinate  desire  of  riches.  And 
what  a  countless  host  of  evils  has  flowed  from  this 
unhallowed  passion,  both  in  relation  to  individuals,  to 
families,  to  nations,  and  to  the  world  at  large  !  In 
relation  to  the  avaricious  man  himself,  could  we  trace 
all  the  eager  desires,  anxieties,  perplexities,  and  cares 
which  harass  his  soul ;  the  fraudulent  schemes  he  is 
obliged  to  contrive,  in  order  to  accomplishhis  object; 
the  miserable  shifts  to  which  he  is  reduced,  in  order 
to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  common  honesty ;  the 
mass  of  contradictions,  and  the  medley  of  falsehoods, 
to  which  he  is  always  obliged  to  have  recourse  ;  the 
numerous  disappointments  to  which  his  eager  pursuit 
of  wealth  continually  exposes  him,  and  by  which  his 
soul  is  pierced  as  with  so  many  daggers — we  should 
behold  a  wretched  being,  the  prey  of  restless  and 
contending  passions,  with  a  mind  full  of  falsehoods, 
deceitful  schemes,  and  grovelling  affections,  like  a 
cage  full  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird, — a  mind 
incapable  of  any  rational  enjoyment  in  this  life,  and 
entirely  incapacitated  for  relishing  the  nobler  enjov- 
ments  of  the  life  to  come.  Such  a  man  is  not  onlv 
miserable  himself,  but  becomes  a  moral  nuisance  to 
the  neighbourhood  around  him ;  stinting  his  own 
family  of  its  necessary  comforts;  oppressing  the 
widow  and  the  fatherless ;  grasping  with  insatiable 
fangs  every  house,  tenement,  and  patch  of  land  within 
his  reach  ;  hurrying  poor  unfortunate  debtors  to  jail  ; 
setting  adrift  the  poor  and  needy  from  their  long- 
accustomed  dwellings ;  and  presenting  to  the  young 
and  thoughtless  a  picture,  which  is  too  frequentlv 
copied,  of  an  immortal  mind  immersed  in  the  mire  of 


372 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  most  degrading  passions,  and  worshipping  and 
serving  the  creature  more  than  the  Creator,  who  is 
blessed  for  ever. 

In  relation  to  large  communities  and  nations,  this 
grovelling  passion  has  produced,  on  an  extensive 
scale,  the  most  mischievous  and  destructive  effects. 
It  has  plundered  palaces,  churches,  seats  of  learning, 
and  repositories  of  art ;  it  has  polluted  the  courts  of 
judicature,  and  the  tribunals  of  justice;  it  has  cor¬ 
rupted  magistrates,  judges,  and  legislators  ;  and  has 
transformed  many,  even  of  the  ministers  of  religion, 
into  courtly  sycophants,  and  hunters  after  places  and 
pensions.  It  has  ground  whole  nations  to  poverty, 
under  the  load  of  taxation  ;  it  has  levelled  spacious 
cities  with  the  dust ;  turned  fruitful  fields  into  a  wil¬ 
derness;  spread  misery  over  whole  empires;  drenched 
the  earth  with  human  gore ;  and  waded  through  fields 
of  blood,  in  order  to  satiate  its  ungovernable  desires. 
What  has  led  to  most  of  the  wars  which  have  deso¬ 
lated  the  earth,  in  every  age,  but  the  insatiable  crav¬ 
ings  of  this  restless  passion  ?  It  was  the  cursed 
love  of  gold  that  excited  the  Spaniards  to  ravage  the 
territories  of  Mexico  and  Peru  ;  to  violate  every  prin¬ 
ciple  of  justice  and  humanity;  to  massacre,  and  to 
perpetrate  the  most  horrid  cruelties  on  their  un¬ 
offending  inhabitants.  It  is  the  same  principle, 
blended  with  the  lust  of  power,  which  still  actuates 
the  infatuated  rulers  of  that  unhappy  nation,  in  their 
vain  attempts  to  overthrow  the  independence  of  their 
former  colonies.  The  same  principle  commenced, 
and  still  carries  on,  that  abominable  traffic,  the  slave 
trade — a  traffic  which  has  entailed  misery  on  mil¬ 
lions  of  the  sons  of  Africa  ;  which  has  excited  wars, 


EFFECTS  OF  AMBITION. 


373 


and  feuds,  and  massacres,  among  her  numerous 
tribes ;  which  has  for  ever  separated  from  each  other 
brothers  and  sisters,  parents  and  children;  which  has 
suffocated  thousands  of  human  beings  in  the  cells  of 
a  floating  dungeon,  and  plunged  ten  thousands  into 
a  watery  grave ; — a  traffic  which  is  a  disgrace  to  the 
human  species;  which  has  transformed  civilized  men 
into  infernal  fiends  ;  which  has  trampled  on  every 
principle  of  justice;  which  has  defaced  the  image  of 
God  in  man,  and  extinguished  every  spark  of  huma¬ 
nity  from  the  minds  of  the  ferocious  banditti  which 
avarice  has  employed  for  accomplishing  her  nefarious 
designs.* 

Ambition ,  or,  an  inordinate  desire  of  power,  su¬ 
periority,  and  distinction,  is  another  modification  of 
this  malignant  principle.  This  passion  is  manifested, 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  by  men  of  all  ranks  and 
characters,  and  in  every  situation  in  life.  It  is  dis¬ 
played  in  the  school-room ,  by  the  boy  who  is  always 
eager  to  stand  foremost  in  his  class ;  in  the  ball-room, 
by  the  lady  who  is  proud  of  her  beauty,  and  of  her 
splendid  attire;  in  the  corporation-liall,  by  the  citizen 
who  struts  with  an  air  of  conscious  dignity,  and  is 

*  That  this  accursed  traffic  is  still  carried  on  with  unabated 
vigour  by  the  civilized  powers  of  Europe,  appears  from  the  fol¬ 
lowing  statement : — “  The  boats  of  a  British  frigate,  the  Maid¬ 
stone,  boarded,  in  eleven  days  of  June,  1824,  no  less  than  ten 
French  vessels,  at  a  single  spot  upon  the  coast  of  Africa ;  the 
measurement  of  which  vessels  was  between  1400  and  1600  tons, 
while  they  were  destined  for  the  incarceration — we  might  say, 
the  living  burial — of  3000  human  beings !”  The  report  to  Go¬ 
vernment  says — “  The  schooner,  La  Louisa,  Captain  Armand, 
arrived  at  Guadaloupe,  during  the  first  days  of  April,  1824,  with 
a  cargo  of  200  negroes,  the  remainder  of  a  complement  of  375, 
which  the  vessel  had  on  board.  The  vessel  not  being  large 
enough  to  accommodate  so  great  a  number  of  men,  the  overplus 
were  consig7ied  alive  to  the  waves  by  the  Captain  /” 


374 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ever  and  anon  aiming  at  pompous  harangues ;  on  the 
bench ,  by  the  haughty  and  overbearing  judge;  in 
the  church ,  by  those  rulers  who,  like  Diotrephes, 
“love  to  have  the  pre-eminence;”  in  the  pulpit,  by 
the  preacher  whose  main  object  is  to  excite  the  ad¬ 
miration  and  applause  of  a  surrounding  audience  ;  in 
the  streets,  by  the  pompous  airs  of  the  proud  dame, 
the  coxcomb,  and  the  dashing  squire;  in  the  village , 
by  him  who  has  a  better  house  and  a  longer  purse 
than  his  neighbours ;  in  the  hamlet,  by  the  peasant 
wTho  can  lift  the  heaviest  stone,  or  fight  and  wrestle 
with  the  greatest  strength  or  agility ;  and  in  the  city, 
by  the  nobleman  who  endeavours  to  rival  all  his  com¬ 
peers  in  the  magnificence  of  his  mansion,  and  the 
splendour  of  his  equipage  ;  among  the  learned,  by 
their  eager  desire  to  spread  their  name  through  the 
world,  and  to  extend  their  fame  to  succeeding  gene¬ 
rations  ;  and  among  all  classes  who  assume  airs  of 
importance,  on  account  of  the  antiquity  of  their  fami¬ 
lies,  their  wealth,  their  exploits  of  heroism,  and  their 
patrimonial  possessions. 

But  it  is  chiefly  on  the  great  theatre  of  the  world, 
that  ambition  has  displayed  its  most  dreadful  energies, 
and  its  most  overwhelming;  devastations.  In  order 
to  gain  possession  of  a  throne,  it  has  thrown  whole 
nations  into  a  state  of  convulsion  and  alarm.  The 
road  to  political  power  and  pre-eminence,  has  been 
prepared  by  the  overthrow  of  truth  and  justice,  by 
fomenting  feuds  and  contentions,  by  bribery,  murder, 
and  assassinations,  by  sanguinary  battles,  by  the  plun¬ 
der  of  whole  provinces,  the  desolation  of  cities  and 
villages,  and  by  the  sighs,  the  groans,  and  lamentations 
of  unnumbered  widows  and  orphans.  In  order  to  raise 


EFFECTS  OF  AMBITION. 


375 


a  silly  mortal  to  despotic  power  on  the  throne  of 
Spain,  how  many  human  victims  have  been  sacrificed 
at  the  altar  of  ambition  !  how  many  families  have 
been  rent  asunder,  and  plunged  into  irremediable 
ruin  !  and  how  many  illustrious  patriots  have  been 
immured  in  dungeons,  and  have  expired  under  the 
axe  of  the  executioner  !  At  the  present  moment 
the  fertile  vales  of  Mexico,  the  mountains  and  plains 
of  South  America,  the  foi’ests  of  the  Burmese,  and 
the  shores  of  Turkey  and  of  Greece,  are  every  where 
covered  with  the  ravages  of  this  fell  destroyer,  whose 
path  is  always  marked  with  desolation  and  bloodshed. 
To  recount  all  the  evils  which  ambition  has  produced 
over  this  vast  globe,  would  be  to  write  a  history  of  the 
struggles  and  contests  of  nations,  and  of  the  sorrows 
and  sufferings  of  mankind.  So  insatiable  is  this 
ungovernable  passion  that  the  whole  earth  appears 
a  field  too  small  for  its  malignant  operations.  Alex¬ 
ander  the  Great,  after  having  conquered  the  greater 
part  of  the  known  world,  wept,  because  he  had  not 
another  world  to  conquer.  Were  there  no  physical 
impediments  to  obstruct  the  course  of  this  detestable 
passion,  it  would  ravage,  not  only  the  globe  on  which 
we  dwell,  but  the  whole  of  the  planetary  worlds;  it 
would  range  from  system  to  system,  carrying  ruin 
and  devastation  in  its  train,  till  the  material  universe 
was  involved  in  misery  and  desolation  ;  and  it  would 
attempt  to  subvert  the  foundations  even  of  the  throne 
of  the  Eternal. 

Such  are  some  of  the  dismal  and  destructive  effects 
of  covetousness ,  when  prosecuting  the  paths  of  ava¬ 
rice  and  ambition :  and  when  we  consider  that  it  is 
uniformly  accompanied  in  its  progress,  with  pride, 


376 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


envy,  discontentment,  and  restless  desires, — it  is  easy 
to  perceive,  that,  were  it  left  to  reign  without  control 
over  the  human  mind,  it  would  soon  desolate  every 
region  of  the  earth,  and  produce  all  the  destructive 
effects  which,  as  we  have  already  shown,  would  flow 
from  a  universal  violation  of  the  other  precepts  of 
God’s  law. 

On  the  other  hand,  contentment — the  duty  im¬ 
plied  in  this  command — would  draw  along  with  it  a 
countless  train  of  blessings,  and  would  restore  tran¬ 
quillity  and  repose  to  our  distracted  world.  To  be 
contented  under  the  allotments  of  the  providence  of 
God,  is  one  of  the  first  and  fundamental  duties  of  every 
rational  creature.  By  contentment  and  resignation 
to  the  divine  disposal,  we  recognise  God  as  the  Su¬ 
preme  Governor  of  the  universe;  as  directedby  infinite 
wisdom,  in  the  distribution  of  his  bounty;  as  pro¬ 
ceeding  on  the  basis  of  eternal  and  immutable  justice, 
in  all  his  providential  arrangements  ;  and  as  actuated 
by  a  principle  of  unbounded  benevolence,  which  has 
a  regard  to  the  ultimate  happiness  of  his  creatures. 
Under  the  government  of  such  a  Being,  we  have 
abundant  reason,  not  only  to  be  resigned,  but  to  be 
glad  and  rejoice.  ii  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the 
earth  be  glad,  let  the  multitude  of  the  isles  thereof 
rejoice.”  However  scanty  the  portion  of  earthly 
good  measured  out  to  us  at  present,  and  however  per¬ 
plexing  and  mysterious  the  external  circumstances  in 
which  we  may  now  be  involved,  we  may  rest  assured, 
that,  under  the  government  of  unerring  wisdom,  recti¬ 
tude,  and  benevolence,  all  such  dispensations  shall  ulti¬ 
mately  be  found  to  have  been,  not  only  consistent  with 
justice,  but  conducive  to  our  present  and  everlasting 


EFFECTS  OF  AMBITION. 


377 


interests.  Were  such  sentiments  and  affections  to 
pervade  the  minds  of  all  human  beings,  what  a  host 
of  malignant  passions  would  be  chased  away  from  the 
hearts  and  the  habitations  of  men  !  Restless  cares, 
and  insatiable  desires,  which  constitute  the  source 
and  the  essence  of  misery,  would  no  longer  agitate 
and  torment  the  human  mind.  Voluptuousness 
would  no  longer  riot  at  the  table  of  luxury  on  dain¬ 
ties  wrung  from  the  sweat  of  thousands;  nor  avarice 
glut  its  desires  with  the  spoils  of  the  widow  and 
the  orphan  ;  nor  ambition  ride  in  triumph  over  the 
miseries  of  a  suffering  world.  Every  one,  submis¬ 
sive  to  the  allotments  of  his  Creator,  and  grateful  for 
that  portion  of  his  bounty  which  he  has  been  pleased 
to  bestow,  would  view  the  wealth  of  his  neighbour 
with  a  kind  and  benignant  eye,  and  rejoice  in  the 
prosperity  of  all  around  him.  Benevolence  and 
peace  would  diffuse  their  benign  influence  over  the 
nations  ;  and  mankind,  delivered  from  the  fear  of 
every  thing  that  might  “  hurt  or  destroy,’’  would 
march  forward  in  harmony  and  affection  to  that 
happier  world,  where  every  wish  will  be  crowned, 
and  every  holy  desire  satisfied  in  God  “  their  ex¬ 
ceeding  great  reward.” 

Thus  it  appears,  that,  on  the  observance  of  this 
law,  which  closes  the  Decalogue,  and  which  has  a 
reference  to  a  single  affection  of  the  mind — the  hap¬ 
piness  of  the  intelligent  system  almost  entirely  de¬ 
pends.  Let  the  floodgates  of  covetousness  be  burst 
open,  and  let  it  flow  in  every  direction  without  con¬ 
trol, — in  a  short  period  the  world  is  desolated,  and 
overwhelmed  with  a  deluge  of  miseries.  Let  the 
current  of  every  passion  and  desire  be  restrained 


378 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


within  its  legitimate  boundary,  and  let  contentment 
take  up  its  residence  in  every  heart,  and  this  deluge 
will  soon  be  dried  up,  and  a  new  world  will  appear 
arrayed  in  all  the  loveliness,  and  verdure,  and  beauty 
of  Eden.  May  Jehovah  hasten  it  in  his  time  ! 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured,  in  the  preceding 
sketches,  to  illustrate  the  reasonableness  of  those 
laws  which  God  has  promulgated  for  regulating  the 
moral  conduct  of  the  intelligent  creation.  If  the 
propriety  of  these  illustrations  be  admitted,  they  may 
be  considered  as  a  commentary  on  the  words  of  the 
Apostle  Paul :  “  The  law  is  holy,  and  the  com¬ 
mandment  is  holy  and  just  and  good.”  In  like  man¬ 
ner,  it  might  have  been  shown  that  all  the  apostolic 
injunctions,  and  other  precepts  recorded  in  the  vo¬ 
lume  of  inspiration,  are  accordant  with  the  dictates 
of  reason,  and  with  the  relations  of  moral  agents  ; 
for  they  are  all  so  many  subordinate  ramifications  of 
the  principles  and  laws  which  I  have  already  illus¬ 
trated. 


General  Conclusions  and  Remarks,  founded  on  the 
preceding  Illustrations. 

I  shall  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  few  remarks  in 
relation  to  the  moral  law,  founded  on  the  illustra¬ 
tions  which  have  been  given  in  the  preceding  pages; 
which  may  be  considered  as  so  many  inferences  de¬ 
duced  from  the  general  subject  which  has  now  occu¬ 
pied  our  attention, 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


379 


I.  In  the  first  place,  One  obvious  conclusion  from 
the  preceding  illustrations  is,  That  the  laics  of  God 
are  not  the  commands  of  an  arbitrary  sovereign , 
but  are  founded  on  the  nature  of  things,  and  on  the 
relations  which  exist  in  the  intelligent  system.  Many 
divines,  especially  those  of  the  supralapsarian  school, 
have  been  disposed  to  ascribe  every  regulation  of  the 
Deity  to  the  Divine  Sovereignty.  I  have  been  told 
that,  in  one  of  the  Latin  treatises  of  Mr.  S.  Ruther¬ 
ford,  Professor  of  Divinity  in  St.  Andrews,  there  is 
a  sentiment  to  the  following  purpose  :  <c  That  such 
is  the  absolute  sovereignty  of  God,  that,  had  it  so 
pleased  him,  he  might  have  made  every  precept  of 
the  moral  law  given  to  man  exactly  the  reverse  of 
what  we  now  find  it.”  A  sentiment  more  directly 
repugnant  to  the  scriptural  character  of  God,  and  to 
every  view  we  can  take  of  the  divine  attributes,  it  is 
scarcely  possible  for  the  human  mind  to  entertain ; 
and  it  shows  us  the  dangerous  consequences  to  which 
we  are  exposed  when  we  attempt  to  push  certain 
theological  dogmas  to  an  extreme.  If  it  were  pos¬ 
sible  to  suppose  the  Deity  capable  of  such  an  act,  it 
would  overturn  all  the  grounds  on  which  we  are  led 
to  contemplate  him  as  glorious,  amiable,  and  ador¬ 
able.  At  some  future  period  in  the  revolutions  of 
eternity,  his  love,  his  rectitude,  and  his  faithfulness, 
might  be  changed  into  malevolence,  injustice,  and 
falsehood.  If  the  requisitions  of  the  moral  law  de¬ 
pended  solely  on  the  Divine  Sovereignty,  then  there 
is  no  inherent  excellence  in  virtue  ;  and  theft,  false¬ 
hood,  murder,  idolatry,  wars,  and  the  malevolence  of 
infernal  demons,  might  become  equally  amiable  and 
excellent  as  truth,  justice,  benevolence,  and  the  songs 


380 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  adorations  of  angels  ;  provided  the  Deity  willed 
the  change  to  take  place.  But  this  is  impossible  : 
and  it  is  evident,  I  trust,  from  the  preceding  illus¬ 
trations,  that  were  moral  laws  directly  opposite  to 
those  contained  in  the  scriptural  code,  prescribed  to 
men,  or  to  any  other  class  of  moral  agents,  not  only 
would  misery  reign  uncontrolled  through  the  uni¬ 
verse,  but  in  a  short  time  the  operation  of  such  laws 
would  annihilate  the  whole  intelligent  creation. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  moral  law  is  not 
founded  on  the  will  of  God,  but  on  the  relations  of 
intelligent  beings,  and  on  its  own  intrinsic  excel¬ 
lence;  or,  in  other  words,  on  its  tendency  to  produce 
happiness  throughout  the  intelligent  system.  This 
idea  nearly  coincides  with  that  of  some  of  our  modern 
moralists,  who  maintain  <c  that  virtue  is  founded  on 
utility,” — if  by  utility  is  meant  a  tendency  to  pro¬ 
mote  happiness.  But  it  by  no  means  follows,  from 
this  position,  as  some  moralists  have  concluded,  that 
utility  is  the  guide,  or  the  rule  by  which  we  are  to 
be  directed  in  our  moral  conduct.  This  may  be 
considered  as  the  rule  which  directs  the  conduct  of 
the  Divine  Being,  whose  eye  takes  in  the  whole  sys¬ 
tem  of  creation,  whose  knowledge  extends  from  eter¬ 
nity  past  to  eternity  to  come,  and  who  perceives,  at 
one  glance,  the  remotest  consequences  of  every  ac¬ 
tion.  But  it  cannot  be  a  rule  for  subordinate  intel¬ 
ligences,  and  especially  for  man,  who  stands  near  the 
lowest  degree  of  the  scale  of  intellectual  existence. 
From  the  limited  range  of  view  to  which  he  is  con¬ 
fined,  he  cannot  trace  the  remote  consequences  of  any 
particular  action,  the  bearings  it  may  have  on  un¬ 
numbered  individuals,  and  the  relation  in  which  it 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


381 


may  stand  to  the  concerns  of  the  eternal  world.  An 
action  which,  to  our  limited  view,  may  appear  either 
beneficial  or  indifferent,  may  involve  a  principle  which, 
if  traced  to  its  remotest  consequences,  would  lead  to 
the  destruction  of  the  moral  universe.  It  might  ap¬ 
pear,  at  first  view,  on  the  whole,  beneficial  to  society, 
that  an  old  unfeeling  miser  should  be  gently  suffo¬ 
cated,  and  his  treasures  applied  for  the  purpose  of 
rearing  asylums  for  the  aged  poor,  and  seminaries  of 
instruction  for  the  young.  But  the  principle  which 
would  sanction  such  an  action,  if  generally  acted  upon, 
would  lead  to  universal  plunder,  robbery,  and  blood¬ 
shed.  To  tell  a  lie  to  a  child,  in  order  to  induce  it 
to  take  a  nauseous  medicine  which  is  essential  to  its 
recovery  from  disease,  may  appear  to  have  a  bene¬ 
volent  tendency;  but  wre  have  already  shown,  that 
were  such  a  principle  universally  admitted,  it  would 
introduce  anarchy  throughout  the  universe,  and  would 
ultimately  annihilate  the  intelligent  creation.  Man, 
in  his  present  state,  can  be  directed  only  by  positive 
laws  proceeding  from  the  Almighty,  whose  compre¬ 
hensive  mind  alone  can  trace  all  their  consequences 
to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  universe,  and  through 
the  ages  of  eternity.  These  laws  are  contained  in 
the  Scriptures — a  comprehensive  summary  of  which 
has  been  the  subject  of  the  preceding  illustrations. 
And  we  know,  in  point  of  fact,  that  in  every  country 
where  these  laws  are  either  unknown  or  not  recog¬ 
nised,  there  is  no  fixed  standard  of  morals;  and  vice, 
in  its  various  ramifications,  almost  universally  pre¬ 
vails. 

II.  A  full  and  unreserved  obedience  to  the  Divine 
law  is  a  most  reasonable  requisition.  Men  are  too 


382 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


frequently  disposed  to  view  the  commands  of  God 
as  the  dictates  of  an  arbitrary  sovereign.  There  is 
a  secret  thought  that  occasionally  lodges  in  the  heart 
of  every  human  being,  that  the  law  of  God  is  too 
rigorous  in  its  demands,  accompanied  with  a  secret 
wish  that  the  severity  of  its  requisitions  could  be  a 
little  modified  or  relaxed.  Every  man  is  subject  to 
some  ‘c  besetting  sin,”  and  he  is  apt  to  say  within 
himself — “  If  I  were  allowed  but  a  little  license  in 
regard  to  one  precept  of  the  law,  I  would  endeavour 
to  do  what  I  could  to  comply  with  the  requisitions  of 
the  rest.”  But  it  would  be  inconsistent  both  with 
the  benevolence  of  the  Deity,  and  with  the  happiness 
of  his  moral  creations  either  to  modify  or  to  relax 
any  one  requirement  of  his  law ;  for  it  is  a  perfect 
law,  from  which  nothing  can  be  taken  without  im¬ 
pairing  its  excellence  and  utility.  Were  he  to  do 
so,  it  would  be,  in  effect,  so  shut  up  the  path  to  hap¬ 
piness,  and  to  open  the  floodgates  of  misery  upon 
the  universe. — Although  it  is  impossible  for  man, 
in  his  present  condition,  to  yield  a  'perfect  obedience 
to  this  law,  yet  nothing  short  of  perfect  obedience 
ought  to  be  bis  aim.  For  in  as  far  as  we  fall  short 
of  it,  in  so  far  do  we  fall  short  of  happiness ;  and 
consequently,  till  that  period  arrive  when  our  obe¬ 
dience  shall  reach  the  summit  of  perfection,  our  hap¬ 
piness  must  remain  incomplete,  and  a  certain  portion 
of  misery  must  be  expected  to  mingle  itself  with  all 
our  enjoyments. 

III.  There  is  so  intimate  a  connection  beticeen  all 
the  parts  of  the  Divine  laic ,  that  the  habitual  violation 
of  any  one  precept  necessarily  includes  the  violation  of 
the  yreater  part ,  if  not  the  whole  of  the  other  precepts. 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


383 


This  is  evident  from  the  general  tenor  of  the  pre¬ 
ceding  illustrations.  It  has  been  shown  that  a  breach 
of  the  first  commandment  includes  pride,  falsehood, 
blasphemy,  ingratitude,  and  hatred  of  moral  excel¬ 
lence  ;  and  that  it  leads  to  injustice,  cruelty,  murder, 
obscenity,  and  the  most  revolting  abominations.  A 
breach  of  the  fifth  involves  a  principle  which  would 
sap  the  foundations  of  all  government  and  moral 
order,  and  transform  society  into  a  lawless  banditti. 
The  violation  of  the  eighth  is  connected  with  false¬ 
hood,  treachery,  and  covetousness,  and  leads  to  op¬ 
pression,  robbery,  murders,  and  the  devastation  of 
empires  ;  and  the  violation  of  the  tenth,  though  con¬ 
sisting  only  in  the  indulgence  of  an  irregular  desire, 
is  the  origin  of  almost  every  other  species  of  moral 
turpitude,  in  relation  either  to  God  or  to  man.  In 
like  manner  it  might  be  shown,  that  the  strict  ob¬ 
servance  of  any  one  precept  is  necessarily  connected 
with  a  regard  for  all  the  other  requirements  of  God’s 
law. 

IV.  It  appears,  from  the  preceding  illustrations, 
that  a  universal  violation  of  any  one  of  the  six  pre¬ 
cepts  of  the  second  table  of  the  laiv ,  ivould  lead  to 
the  entire  destruction  of  the  human  race.  In  the 
case  of  the  sixth  commandment  being  supposed  to  be 
reversed  or  universally  violated,  this  effect  would  be 
most  rapidly  produced ;  but  the  destruction  and  com¬ 
plete  extirpation  of  human  beings  from  the  earth 
would  be  as  certainly  effected,  in  the  course  of  two  or 
three  generations,  by  the  universal  violation  of  any 
one  of  the  other  five  precepts.  Some  of  the  circum¬ 
stances  which  would  necessarily  produce  this  effect, 
are  alluded  to  in  the  preceding  illustration  of  these 


384 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


precepts.  And  as  the  first  principle  of  the  moral  law, 
love  to  God,  is  the  foundation  of  the  precepts  con¬ 
tained  in  the  second  table,  it  is  obvious  that  the  same 
effect  would  ultimately  follow  from  a  universal  viola¬ 
tion  of  the  first  four  precepts  of  the  Decalogue. 

V.  It  follows  from  what  has  hitherto  been  stated, 
that  the  moral  law  has  never  yet  been  universally 
violated;  nor  has  any  one  of  its  precepts  been  com¬ 
pletely  reversed  in  the  conduct  of  the  inhabitants  of 
our  globe.  Every  individual  of  mankind  has  indeed, 
in  one  shape  or  another,  broken  every  one  of  the 
commandments  of  God:  but  such  breaches  have  not 
been  constant  and  uniform,  and  running  through 
every  action  he  performed.  Falsehood  has  always 
been  mingled  with  a  portion  of  truth,  theft  with 
honesty,  cruelty  with  clemency  and  mercy,  anarchy 
with  subordination,  and  licentiousness  with  chastity 
and  purity.  It  is  owing  to  this  partial  obedience  to 
the  dictates  of  the  law  of  nature,  impressed  upon 
every  human  heart,  that  the  world  of  mankind  has 
hitherto  been  preserved  in  existence.  The  partial 
violation,  however,  of  the  divine  law,  which  has  char¬ 
acterized  the  actions  of  mankind  in  all  ages,  has  been 
the  source  of  all  the  calamities,  miseries,  and  moral 
abominations,  under  which  the  earth  has  groaned 
from  generation  to  generation ;  and,  in  proportion 
to  the  extent  of  this  violation,  will  be  the  extent  of 
misery  entailed  on  the  human  race. — That  a  univer¬ 
sal  violation  of  God’s  law  has  never  yet  taken  place 
ir>  any  region  of  the  earth,  is  not  owing  so  much  to 
any  want  of  energy  or  of  malignity  in  the  principle 
of  disobedience  which  is  seated  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
as  to  the  restraining  influence  of  the  moral  Governor 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


385 


of  the  world,  and  to  the  physical  impediments  which 
he  has  placed  to  prevent  the  diabolical  passions  of 
men  from  rag-urn  without  control.  Whether  it  be 
possible  for  any  class  of  intelligent  organized  beings 
to  subsist  for  any  length  of  time  under  a  complete 
violation  of  the  moral  law,  it  is  not  for  us  positively 
to  determine;  but  it  is  evident  to  a  demonstration, 
that,  in  the  present  physical  condition  of  the  human 
race,  such  a  violation  would  unhinge  the  whole  fabric 
of  society,  and  in  a  short  time  exterminate  the  race 
of  Adam  from  the  earth. 

VI.  The  greater  part  of  the  precepts  of  the  De¬ 
calogue  is  binding  upon  superior  intelligences,  and 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  as  well  as  upon 
man.  For  any  thing  we  know  to  the  contrary,  there 
may  be  worlds  in  different  regions  of  the  universe, 
and  even  within  the  bounds  of  our  planetary  system, 
where  their  inhabitants  are  placed  in  circumstances 
similar  to  those  in  which  man  was  placed  in  his  para¬ 
disiacal  state;  and  consequently,  where  the  precepts 
which  compose  their  moral  code  may  be  exactly  the 
same  as  ours.  But  it  is  highly  probable,  that,  in 
general,  the  inhabitants  of  the  various  globes  which 
float  in  the  immensity  of  space,  differ  as  much  in 
their  moral  circumstances  and  relations,  as  the  globes 
themselves  do  in  their  size,  their  physical  constitu¬ 
tion,  and  their  natural  scenery.  I  have  already 
shown,  (p.  204,  Sic.)  that  there  are  seven  precepts 
of  our  moral  law  which  are  common  to  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  all  worlds,  namely  the  first ,  second,  third, 
fourth,  (see  p.  314.)  the  sixth,  the  ninth,  and  the 
tenth.  And,  if  there  is  no  portion  of  the  intelligent 
system  in  which  subordination ,  in  a  greater  or  less 

D.  2.  R 


386 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


degree,  does  not  exist,  then  the  fifth  precept  of  our 
code  must  also  be  a  law  common  to  all  intelligences. 
It  was  formerly  stated,  (p.  338.)  that  the  seventh 
precept  is,  in  all  probability,  a  law  peculiar  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  during  the  present  economy 
of  Providence;  and,  perhaps,  it  is  the  only  one  which 
is  not  applicable  to  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  uni¬ 
verse.  So  that  the  moral  laws  given  to  man  may  be 
considered  as  substantially  the  same  with  those  which 
govern  all  the  other  parts  of  the  universal  system. 

VII.  From  the  preceding  illustrations,  we  may  in¬ 
fer  the  excellency  ancl  the  divine  oriyin  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Revelation.  The  Scriptures  contain  the  most 
impressive  evidence  of  their  heavenly  original  in  their 
own  bosom.  The  wide  range  of  objects  they  em¬ 
brace,  extending  from  the  commencement  of  our 
earthly  system,  through  all  the  revolutions  of  time, 
to  the  period  of  its  termination;  and  from  the  count¬ 
less  ages  of  eternity  past,  to  the  diversified  scenes  of 
eternity  to  come — the  plan  of  Providence  they  un¬ 
fold,  and  the  views  they  exhibit  of  the  moral  princi¬ 
ples  of  the  Divine  government,  and  of  the  subordi¬ 
nation  of  all  events  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  glo¬ 
rious  design — the  character  and  attributes  of  the 
Creator,  which  they  illustrate  by  the  most  impressive 
delineations  and  the  most  sublime  descriptions — the 
views  they  exhibit  of  the  existence,  the  powers,  the 
capacities,  the  virtues,  and  the  employments  of  su¬ 
perior  orders  of  intellectual  beings — the  demonstra¬ 
tions  they  afford  of  the  dignified  station  and  the 
hi<rh  destination  of  man — and  the  sublime  and  awful 
scenes  they  unfold,  when  the  earth  “  shalt  melt  like 
wax  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord,”  when  the  judg- 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


387 


ment  shall  be  set,  and  the  unnumbered  millions  of 
the  race  of  Adam  shall  be  assembled  before  the  Judge 
of  all,- — infinitely  surpass  every  thing  which  the  un¬ 
assisted  imaginations  of  men  could  have  devised,  and 
every  thing  which  had  ever  been  attempted  by  the 
greatest  sages  of  antiquity,  either  in  prose  or  in 
rhyme  ;  and  consequently  prove,  to  a  moral  demon¬ 
stration,  that  a  Power  and  Intelligence,  superior  to 
the  human  mind,  must  have  suggested  such  sublime 
conceptions ;  since  there  are  no  prototypes  of  such 
objects  to  be  found  within  the  ordinary  range  of  the 
human  mind. 

But  the  subject  to  which  we  have  been  hitherto 
adverting,  when  properly  considered,  suggests  an 
evidence  of  the  truth  and  divinity  of  the  Scriptures, 
as  striking,  and  perhaps  more  convincing  than  any 
other.  They  unfold  to  us  the  moral  laws  of  the 
universe — they  present  a  summary  of  moral  princi¬ 
ples  and  precepts,  which  is  applicable  to  all  the  tribes 
and  generations  of  men,  to  all  the  orders  of  angelic 
beings,  and  to  all  the  moral  intelligences  that  people 
the  amplitudes  of  creation — to  man,  during  his  tem¬ 
porary  abode  on  earth,  and  to  man,  when  placed  in 
heaven,  so  long  as  eternity  endures — precepts,  which, 
if  universally  observed,  would  banish  misery  from  the 
creation,  and  distribute  happiness  among  all  the  in¬ 
tellectual  beings  that  exist  throughout  the  empire  of 
God.  C  an  these  things  be  affirmed  of  any  other 
system  of  religion  or  of  morals  that  was  ever  pub¬ 
lished  to  the  world  ?  The  Greek  and  Roman  mo¬ 
ralists,  alter  all  their  laboured  investigations,  could 
never  arrive  at  any  certain  determination  with  regard 
to  the  nature  of  happiness,  and  the  means  of  attain- 

R  2 


388 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ing  it.  We  are  tolcl  by  Varro,  one  of  the  most 
learned  writers  of  the  Augustan  age,  that  the  heathen 
philosophers  had  embraced  more  than  two  hundred 
and  eighty  different  opinions  respecting  the  supreme 
good.  Some  of  them  taught  that  it  consisted  in 
sensual  enjoyments,  and  in  freedom  from  pain  :  others 
considered  it  as  placed  in  study  and  contemplation, 
in  military  glory,  in  riches,  honours,  wealth,  and  fame. 
Some  of  their  moral  maxims,  separately  considered, 
were  rational  and  excellent ;  hut  they  were  connected 
with  other  maxims,  which  completely  neutralized  all 
their  virtue,  and  their  tendency  to  produce  happiness. 
Pride,  falsehood,  injustice,  impurity,  revenge,  and 
an  unfeeling  apathy  to  the  distresses  of  their  fellow- 
creatures,  were  considered  as  quite  consistent  with 
their  system  of  morality ;  and  such  malignant  prin¬ 
ciples  and  practices  were  blended  with  their  most 
virtuous  actions.  But  we  have  already  shown,  that 
the  uniform  operation  of  such  principles  would  neces¬ 
sarily  lead  to  the  destruction  of  all  happiness,  and  to 
the  overthrow  of  all  order  throughout  the  intelligent 
creation. 

Now,  can  it  he  supposed  for  a  moment  that  a 
Jew  who  had  spent  forty  years  of  his  life  as  a  shep¬ 
herd  in  a  desert  country,  who  lived  in  a  rude  age  of 
the  world,  who  had  never  studied  a  system  of  ethics, 
and  whose  mind  was  altogether  incapable  of  tracing 
the  various  relations  which  subsist  between  intelli¬ 
gent  beings  and  their  Creator,  could  have  investi¬ 
gated  those  principles  and  laws  which  form  the  foun¬ 
dation  of  the  moral  universe,  and  the  basis  of  the 
Divine  government  in  all  worlds  ;  unless  they  had 
been  communicated  immediately  by  Him,  who,  at  one 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


389 


glance,  beholds  all  the  physical  and  moral  relations 
which  exist  throughout  creation,  and  who  can  trace 
the  bearings  and  the  eternal  consequences  of  every 
moral  law  ?  Or  can  we  suppose,  that,  throughout 
the  whole  period  of  the  Jewish  economy,  and  during 
the  first  ages  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  writers  should  appear,  many  of  them  unknown 
to  each  other,  all  of  whom  should  uniformly  recog¬ 
nise  those  laws  in  their  minutest  hearings  and  rami¬ 
fications  ;  unless  their  minds  had  been  enlightened 
and  directed  by  the  same  powerful  and  unerring  In¬ 
telligence  ?  If  these  laws  are  distinguished  by  their 
extreme  simplicity ,  they  are  the  more  characteristic 
of  their  divine  Author,  who,  from  the  general  opera¬ 
tion  of  a  few  simple  principles  in  the  system  of  na¬ 
ture,  produces  all  the  variety  we  perceive  in  the  ma¬ 
terial  world,  and  all  the  harmonies,  the  contrasts,  the 
beauties  and  sublimities  of  the  universe.  If  it  be 
asked  why  these  laws,  which  are  so  extremely  simple 
and  comprehensive,  were  not  discovered  nor  recog¬ 
nised  by  the  ancient  sages?  it  might  be  answered, 
by  asking  why  the  laws  of  gravitation,  which  are  also 
simple  and  comprehensive,  were  not  discovered  till 
Newton  arose  to  investigate  the  agencies  of  nature, 
and  to  pour  a  flood  of  light  on  the  system  of  the 
universe  ?  But  the  true  reasons  are — that  the  un¬ 
assisted  powers  of  the  human  mind  were  inadequate 
to  the  task  of  surveying  all  the  moral  relations  which 
subsist  throughout  the  intelligent  system,  and  of 
tracing  those  moral  principles  which  would  apply  to 
the  whole  assemblage  of  moral  agents,  so  as  to  secure 
the  happiness  of  each  individual,  and  of  the  system  as 
one  great  whole — that  the  laws  of  God  were  almost 


390 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


directly  contrary  to  the  leading  maxims  of  morality 
which  prevailed  in  the  world — and  that  they  struck 
at  the  root  of  all  those  principles  of  pride,  ambition, 
revenge,  and  impurity,  which  almost  universally  di¬ 
rected  the  conduct  of  individuals  and  of  nations. 

If,  then,  we  find  in  a  book  which  professes  to  be 
a  revelation  from  heaven,  a  system  of  laws  which  can 
clearly  be  shown  to  be  the  basis  of  the  moral  order 
of  the  universe,  and  which  are  calculated  to  secure 
the  eternal  felicity  of  all  intellectual  beings — it  forms 
a  strong  presumptive  proof,  if  not  an  unanswerable 
argument,  that  the  contents  of  that  book  are  of  a 
celestial  origin,  and  were  dictated  by  Him  who  gave 
birth  to  the  whole  system  of  created  beings. 

VIII.  From  this  subject  we  may  learn  the  absur¬ 
dity  and  the  pernicious  tendency  of  Antinomianism. 

Of  all  the  absurdities  and  abominations  which  have 
assumed  the  name  of  Religion,  I  know  none  more 
pernicious  and  atheistical  in  its  tendency,  than  the 
sentiment  which  is  tenaciously  maintained  by  modern 
Antinomians,  “  That  Christians  are  set  free  from 
the  law  of  God  as  a  rule  of  conduct.”  That,  in  the 
nineteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era,  amidst  the 
rapid  progress  of  physical  and  moral  science,  under 
the  mask  of  a  Christian  profession,  and  with  the 
moral  precepts  and  injunctions  of  the  prophets,  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  of  his  apostles,  lying  open  before 
them,  a  set  of  men,  calling  themselves  rational  be¬ 
ings,  should  arise  to  maintain,  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  “  imputed  sanctification,”  that  the  moral 
law  is  not  obligatory  upon  Christians,  and  that  “  who¬ 
ever  talks  of  progressive  sanctification  is  guilty  of 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


391 


high  treason  against  the  Majesty  of  heaven”* — is 
a  moral  phenomenon  truly  humbling  and  astonish¬ 
ing  ;  and  affords  an  additional  proof  to  the  many 
other  evidences  which  lie  before  us,  of  the  folly  and 
perversity  of  the  human  mind,  and  of  its  readi¬ 
ness  to  embrace  the  most  wild  and  glaring  absurdi¬ 
ties  !  If  the  leading  train  of  sentiment  which  has 
been  prosecuted  in  the  preceding  illustrations  be  ad¬ 
mitted,  there  appears  nothing  else  requisite  in  order 
to  show  the  gross  absurdity  and  the  deadly  malig¬ 
nity  of  the  Antinomian  system.  If  any  system  of 
religion  be  founded  on  the  cancellation  of  every  moral 
tie  which  connects  man  with  man,  and  man  with 
God — if  its  fundamental  and  distinguishing  prin¬ 
ciples,  when  carried  to  their  legitimate  consequences, 
would  lead  men  to  hate  their  Creator  and  to  hate 
one  another — if  it  can  be  shown,  that  the  operation 
of  such  principles  constitutes  the  chief  ingredient  of 
the  misery  which  arises  from  “  the  worm  that  never 
dies,  and  the  fire  which  is  never  quenched;”  and 
that,  if  universally  acted  upon,  they  would  overthrow 
all  order  in  the  intelligent  system,  and  banish  happi¬ 
ness  from  the  universe — it  necessarily  follows,  that 
such  a  system  cannot  be  the  religion  prescribed  by 
the  All-wise  and  Benevolent  Creator,  nor  any  part  of 
that  revelation  which  proclaims  <e  peace  on  earth  and 
good-will  towards  men,”  and  which  enjoins  us  to 
“  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  hearts,  and 
our  neighbour  as  ourselves.” 

The  Antinomian,  in  following  out  his  own  prin¬ 
ciples,  if  no  human  laws  or  prudential  considerations 


* 


See  Cottle’s  Strictures  on  the  Plymouth  Antinomians. 


392 


PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


were  to  deter  him,  might  run  to  every  excess  of 
profligacy  and  debauchery — might  indulge  in  im¬ 
piety,  falsehood,  and  profanity — might  commit  theft, 
robbery,  adultery,  fraud,  cruelty,  injustice,  and  even 
murder,  without  considering  himself  as  acting  con- 
trary  to  the  spirit  of  his  religious  system.  On  his 
principles,  the  idea  of  heaven,  or  a  state  of  perfect 
happiness,  is  a  physical  and  moral  impossibility;  and 
the  idea  of  liell  a  mere  bugbear  to  frighten  children 
and  fools.  For,  wherever  the  moral  law  is  generally 
observed,  there  can  be  no  great  portion  of  misery 
experienced  under  the  arrangements  of  a  benevolent 
Creator;  and  if  this  law  be  set  aside,  or  its  observ¬ 
ance  considered  as  a  matter  of  indifference,  the  foun¬ 
dation  of  all  the  happiness  of  saints  and  angels  is 
necessarily  subverted.  A  heaven  without  love  per¬ 
vading  the  breasts  of  all  its  inhabitants,  would  be  a 
contradiction  in  terms;  but  love,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  is  the  foundation  of  every  moral  precept. 

I  trust  the  moral  conduct  of  the  deluded  mortals 
who  have  embraced  this  system,  is  more  respectable 
than  that  to  which  their  principles  naturally  lead; — 
but  the  consideration,  that  such  absurd  and  danger¬ 
ous  opinions  have  been  deduced  from  the  Christian 
revelation,  should  act  as  a  powerful  stimulus  on 
the  Christian  world,  for  directing  their  attention  to 
a  more  minute  and  comprehensive  illustration  than 
has  hitherto  been  given,  of  the  practical  bearings  of 
the  Christian  system,  and  of  the  eternal  and  immut¬ 
able  obligation  of  the  law  of  God,  which  it  is  the 
great  end  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  enforce  and  de¬ 
monstrate.  For  it  is  lamentable  to  reflect,  how  many 
thousands  of  religionists,  both  in  North  and  in  South 


FAITH  AND  REPENTANCE. 


393 


Britain,  even  in  the  present  clay,  have  their  minds 
tinctured,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  with  the  poison 
of  Antinomianism,  in  consequence  of  the  general 
strain  of  many  of  the  doctrinal  sermons  they  are  ac¬ 
customed  to  hear,  and  of  the  injudicious  sentiments 
they  have  imbibed  from  the  writings  of  the  supralap- 
sarian  divines  of  the  seventeenth  century. 

IX.  Faith  and  repentance,  as  required  in  the 
Gospel,  are  absolutely  necessary,  in  the  present  con¬ 
dition  of  man,  in  order  to  acceptable  obedience  to 
the  divine  law.  tf  Without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  please  God  ;  for  he  that  cometh  to  God  must  be¬ 
lieve  that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  the  rewarder  of  them 
that  diligently  seek  him.” — Faith,  as  the  term  is 
used  in  Scripture,  denotes  confidence  in  the  moral 
character  of  God,  founded  on  the  belief  we  attach  to 
the  declarations  of  his  word.  It  is  defined,  by  the 
Apostle  Paul,  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews,  to  be  “  the  confident  expectation  of 
things  hoped  for,”  and  “  the  conviction  of  things 
which  are  not  seen.”  *  Faith  substantiates  and 
realizes  those  objects  which  are  invisible  to  the  eye 
of  sense,  and  which  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  our  pre¬ 
sent  comprehension.  It  recognises  the  existence 
and  the  omnipresence  of  an  invisible  Being,  by  whose 
agency  the  visible  operations  of  nature  are  conducted; 
and  views  him  as  possessed  of  infinite  wisdom,  power, 
benevolence,  faithfulness,  rectitude,  and  eternal  du¬ 
ration.  It  realizes  the  scenes  of  an  invisible  and 
eternal  world — the  destruction  of  the  present  fabric 
of  our  globe,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  solem- 


* 


Doddridge’s  Translation  of  Heb.  xi.  1, 
R  3 


394 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nities  of  the  last  judgment,  the  new  heavens  and  the 
new  earth,  the  innumerable  company  of  angels,  and 
the  grandeur  and  felicity  of  the  heavenly  world. 
These  invisible  realities  it  recognises,  on  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  God  exhibited  in  his  word ;  and  without  a 
recognition  of  such  objects,  religion  can  have  no  ex¬ 
istence  in  the  mind. — In  a  particular  manner,  faith 
recognises  the  declarations  of  God  in  relation  to  the 
character  and  condition  of  men  as  violators  of  his 
law,  and  as  exposed  to  misery ;  and  the  exhibition 
which  is  made  of  the  way  of  reconciliation,  through 
the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  “  set  forth  as 
a  propitiation  to  declare  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
the  remission  of  sins.”  The  man  in  whose  heart 
the  principle  of  faith  operates,  convinced  that  he  is 
guilty  before  God,  and  exposed  to  misery  on  account 
of  sin,  confides  in  the  declarations  of  God  respecting 
ct  the  remission  of  sins  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus — he  confides  in  the  goodness, 
mercy,  faithfulness,  and  power  of  God,  which  secure 
the  accomplishment  of  his  promises,  and  the  supply 
of  all  requisite  strength  and  consolation  to  support 
him  amidst  the  dangers  and  afflictions  of  life  ;  he 
confides  in  the  wisdom  and  excellence  of  those  pre¬ 
cepts  which  are  prescribed  as  the  rule  of  his  conduct, 
and  which  are  fitted  to  guide  him  to  the  regions  of 
happiness  ; — and,  in  the  exercise  of  this  confidence, 
he  “  adds  to  his  faith,  fortitude,  knowledge,  temper¬ 
ance,  patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and 
charity ;”  and  prosecutes  with  courage  this  course  of 
obedience,  till  at  length  t(  an  entrance  is  abundantly 
administered  to  him  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of 

O  c5 

our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ.”  But,  with- 


FAITH  AND  REPENTANCE. 


395 


out  a  recognition  of  such  objects,  and  an  unshaken 
confidence  in  the  declarations  of  God  respecting  them, 
it  is  obvious,  from  the  nature  of  things,  that  we 
“  cannot  please  God,”  nor  yield  him  an  acceptable 
and  “reasonable  service.” 

In  like  manner,  it  might  be  shown,  that  repent¬ 
ance  is  essentially  requisite  to  acceptable  obedience. 
Sin  is  directly  opposed  to  the  character  of  God,  and 
is  the  great  nuisance  of  the  moral  universe.  While 
the  love  of  it  predominates  in  any  mind,  it  leads  to 
every  species  of  moral  turpitude  ;  and  consequently, 
completely  unfits  such  a  mind  for  yielding  a  cheer¬ 
ful  obedience  to  the  divine  law.  But  repentance, 
which  consists  in  hatred  of  sin,  and  sorrow  for  hav¬ 
ing  committed  it,  naturally  prepares  the  mind  for  the 
practice  of  universal  holiness.  It  tends  to  withdraw 
the  soul  from  the  practice  of  sin,  and  warns  it  of  the 
danger  of  turning  again  to  folly.  It  is  the  com¬ 
mencement  of  every  course  of  virtuous  conduct,  and 
the  avenue  which  ultimately  leads  to  solid  peace  and 
tranquillity.  It  is  intimately  connected  with  humi¬ 
lity  and  self-denial,  and  is  directly  opposed  to  pride 
and  self-sratulation.  It  must  therefore  be  indis- 

o 

pensably  requisite  to  prepare  us  for  conformity  to  the 
moral  character  of  God,  for  universal  obedience  to 
his  law,  and  for  the  enjoyment  of  substantial  and 
never-ending  felicity.  Hence  the  importance  which 
is  attached  to  the  exercise  of  repentance  by  our  Sa¬ 
viour  and  his  Apostles.  In  connection  with  faith, 
it  is  uniformly  represented  as  the  first  duty  of  a  sin¬ 
ner,  and  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  life. 
Repentance  was  the  great  duty  to  which  the  fore¬ 
runner  of  the  Messiah  called  the  multitudes  who 


396 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION'. 


Hocked  to  his  baptism,  and  on  which  the  Messiah 
himself  expatiated  during  the  period  of  his  public 
ministry.  “  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  at  hand.”  “  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish.”  And  the  Apostles,  in  their  instructions  to 
every  nation,  and  to  every  class  of  men,  laid  down 
the  following  positions  as  the  foundation  of  every 
moral  duty  :  “  Repentance  towards  God,  and  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.” 

X.  From  the  preceding  illustrations  we  may  learn, 
that  no  merit,  in  the  sense  in  which  that  term  is 
sometimes  used,  can  be  attached  to  human  actions  in 
the  sight  of  God ;  and  that  the  salvation,  or  ultimate 
happiness  of  sinners,  is  the  effect  of  the  grace  or 
benevolence  of  God. — That  the  good  works  of  men 
are  meritorious  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  a  notion,  as 
unphilosophical  and  absurd,  as  it  is  impious  and  un- 
scriptural.  They  are  requisite,  and  indispensably 
requisite,  as  qualifications ,  or  preparations  for  the 
enjoyment  of  felicity,  without  which  the  attainment 
of  true  happiness  either  here  or  hereafter  is  an  im¬ 
possibility  ;  but  the  actions  of  no  created  being,  not 
even  the  sublimest  services  of  the  angelic  hosts,  can 
have  the  least  merit  in  the  eyes  of  the  Creator, 
“  Thy  wickedness  may  hurt  a  man  as  thou  art,  and 
thy  righteousness  may  profit  the  son  of  man  ;”  but 
“if  thou  sinnest,  what  dost  thou  against  God?  or 
if  thou  be  righteous,  what  givest  thou  him,  and 
what  receiveth  he  of  thine  hand  ?”  *  “  Thy  good¬ 

ness  extendeth  not  unto  him,”  and  “he  that  sinneth 
against  him  wrongeth  his  own  soul.” — What  merit 


*  Job  xxxv.  6,  8.  Psalm  xvi.  2,  Ike. 


GOOD  WORKS  NOT  MERITORIOUS.  397 


can  there  be  in  that  exercise  of  love,  and  in  the  cul¬ 
tivation  of  benevolent  affections,  when  we  consider, 
that  these  affections  are  essentially  requisite  to  our 
happiness,  and  that  the  very  exercise  of  them  is  a 
privilege  conferred  by  God,  and  one  of  the  principal 
ingredients  of  bliss  ?  What  merit  can  be  attached 

o 

to  the  noblest  services  we  can  perform,  when  we  re¬ 
flect,  that  we  derived  all  the  corporeal  and  intellec¬ 
tual  faculties  by  which  we  perform  these  services, 
and  all  the  means  by  which  they  are  excited  and 
directed,  from  our  bountiful  Creator  ?  What  merit 
can  there  be  in  obedience  to  his  law,  when  disobe¬ 
dience  must  infallibly  lead  to  destruction  and  misery  ? 
Is  it  considered  as  meritorious  in  a  traveller,  when 
he  is  properly  directed,  furnished  with  strength  of 
body  and  mind,  and  provided  with  every  necessary 
for  his  journey — to  move  forward  to  the  place  of  his 
wished-for  destination  ?  Our  benevolent  affections, 
and  the  active  services  to  which  they  lead,  may  be 
meritorious  in  the  eyes  of  our  fellow-men,  in  so  far 
as  they  are  the  means  of  contributing  to  their  enjoy¬ 
ment  ;  but  in  the  presence  of  him  who  sits  on  the 
throne  of  the  universe,  we  shall  always  have  to  ac¬ 
knowledge  that  “we  are  unprofitable  servants.”  It 
is  probable,  that,  if  the  great  object  of  religion  were 
represented  in  its  native  simplicity,  if  the  nature  of 
salvation  were  clearly  understood,  and  if  less  were 
said  on  the  subject  of  human  merit  in  sermons  and 
systems  of  divinity,  the  idea  which  I  am  now  com¬ 
bating,  would  seldom  be  entertained  by  any  mind 
possessed  of  the  least  share  of  Christian  knowledge, 
or  of  common  sense. 

That  the  eternal  salvation  of  men  is  the  effect  of 


398 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  grace  of  God,  is  also  a  necessary  consequence 
from  what  has  now  been  stated.  For  every  power, 
capacity,  and  privilege  we  possess,  was  derived  from 
God  :  “  What  have  we  that  we  have  not  received  ?” 
Even  our  very  existence  in  the  world  of  life,  is  an 
act  of  grace.  We  exerted  no  power  in  ushering 
ourselves  into  existence  :  we  had  no  control  over  the 
events  which  determined  that  we  should  be  born  in 
Scotland  and  not  in  Africa;  which  determined  the 
particular  family  with  which  we  should  be  connected  ; 
the  education  we  should  receive;  the  particular  ob¬ 
jects  towards  which  our  minds  should  be  directed, 
and  the  privileges  we  should  enjoy.  And  when  we 
arrive  at  the  close  of  our  earthly  career,  when  the 
spirit  is  hovering  on  the  verge  of  life,  and  about  to 
take  its  flight  from  this  mortal  scene,  can  it  direct 
its  course,  by  its  own  energies,  through  the  world 
unknown  ?  can  it  wing  its  way  over  a  region  it  has 
never  explored,  to  its  kindred  spirits  in  the  mansions 
of  bliss  ?  can  it  furnish  these  mansions  with  the  ob¬ 
jects  from  which  its  happiness  is  to  be  derived?  can 
it  reanimate  the  body  after  it  has  long  mouldered  in 
the  dust  ?  can  it  reunite  itself  with  its  long-lost 
partner  ?  can  it  transport  the  resurrection-body  to 
that  distant  world  where  it  is  destined  to  spend  an 
endless  existence  ?  or  can  it  create  those  scenes  of 
magnificence,  and  those  extatic  joys  which  will  fill 
it  with  transport  while  eternity  endures  ?  If  it  cannot 
be  supposed  to  accomplish  such  glorious  objects  by 
its  own  inherent  powers,  then  it  must  be  indebted  for 
every  entertainment  in  the  future  world  to  the  un¬ 
bounded  and  unmerited  love  and  mercy  of  God.  To 
Him,  therefore,  who  sits  upon  the  throne  of  the 


SALVATION  AN  ACT  OF  GRACE. 


399 


heavens,  and  to  the  Lamb  who  was  slain  and  hath 
redeemed  us  to  God  by  his  blood,  let  all  praise, 
honour,  dominion,  and  power,  be  ascribed,  now  and 
for  ever.  Amen. 


Having  now  finished  what  I  proposed  in  the 
illustration  of  the  principles  of  love  to  God  and  to 
man,  and  of  the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue, — in  the 
following  chapter  I  shall  take  a  bird’s  eye  view  of 
the  moral  state  of  the  world  ;  and  endeavour  to  ascer¬ 
tain,  to  what  extent  these  principles  and  laws  have 
been  recognised  and  observed  by  the  inhabitants  of 
our  globe. 


400 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  BRIEF  SURVEY  OF  THE  MORAL  STATE  OF  THE 

WORLD; 

OR,  AN  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  GENERAL  TRAIN  OF  HUMAN  ACTIONS, 
IN  REFERENCE  TO  ITS  CONFORMITY  WITH  THE  PRINCIPLES  AND 
LAWS  NOW  ILLUSTRATED. 


The  discoveries  of  modern  astronomy  have  led 
us  infallibly  to  conclude,  that  the  universe  consists 
of  an  immense  number  of  systems  and  worlds  dis¬ 
persed,  at  immeasurable  distances  from  each  other, 
throughout  the  regions  of  infinite  space.  When 
we  take  into  consideration  the  Benevolence  of  the 
Deity,  and  that  the  happiness  of  the  intelligent 
creation  is  the  great  object  which  his  Wisdom  and 
Omnipotence  are  employed  to  accomplish — it  ap¬ 
pears  highly  probable,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
whole,  or  at  least  of  the  greater  part,  of  those  worlds 
whose  suns  we  behold  twinkling  from  afar,  are  in  a 
state  of  moral  perfection,  and,  consequently,  in  a  state 
of  happiness.  At  any  rate,  it  is  reasonable  to  con¬ 
clude,  that  the  exceptions  which  exist  are  not  nume¬ 
rous.  Perhaps  this  earth  is  the  only  world  where 
physical  evil  exists,  and  where  moral  order  is  sub¬ 
verted  ;  and  these  dismal  effects  may  have  been  per¬ 
mitted  to  happen,  under  the  government  of  God,  in 
order  to  exhibit  to  other  intelligences,  a  specimen  of 
the  terrible  and  destructive  consequences  of  moral 
evil,  as  a  warning  of  the  danger  of  infringing,  in  the 


SCENES  IN  A  WORLD  OF  PURITY. 


401 


least  degree,  on  those  moral  principles  which  form 
the  bond  of  union  among  the  intelligent  system. 

Could  we  trace  the  series  of  events  which  have 
occurred  in  any  one  of  those  happy  worlds,  where 
moral  perfection  prevails,  ever  since  the  period  when 
it  w’as  replenished  with  inhabitants,  and  the  objects 
to  which  their  physical  and  rational  powers  have  been 
directed,  we  should  doubtless  be  highly  delighted 
with  the  moral  scenery  which  the  history  of  such  a 
world  would  display.  Its  annals  would  uniformly 
record  the  transactions  of  benevolence.  We  should 
hear  nothing  of  the  pomp  of  hostile  armies,  of  the 
shouts  of  victory,  of  the  exploits  of  heroes,  of  the 
conflagration  of  cities,  of  the  storming  of  fortifica¬ 
tions,  of  the  avarice  of  courtiers,  of  the  burning  of 
heretics,  or  the  ambition  of  princes.  The  train  of 
events  presented  to  our  view,  would  be  directly  op¬ 
posed  to  every  object  of  this  description,  and  to 
every  thing  which  forms  a  jjrominent  feature  in  the 
history  of  mankind.  To  beautify  and  adorn  the 
scenery  of  nature  around  them,  to  extend  their  views 
of  the  operations  of  the  Almighty,  to  explore  the 
depths  of  his  wisdom  and  intelligence,  to  admire  the 
exuberance  of  his  goodness,  to  celebrate  the  praises 
of  the  Author  of  all  their  enjoyments,  to  make  pro¬ 
gressive  advances  in  moral  and  intellectual  attain¬ 
ments,  to  circulate  joy  from  heart  to  heart,  to  exert 
their  ingenuity  in  the  invention  of  instruments  by 
which  their  physical  powers  may  be  improved,  and 
the  wonders  of  creation  more  minutely  explored ;  to 
expand  their  views  of  the  Divine  perfections,  and  to 
increase  the  sum  of  happiness  among  fellow-intelli¬ 
gences,  will  doubtless  form  apart  of  the  employments 


402  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

of  a  world  where  moral  purity  universally  prevails. 
One  circumstance  which  may  probably  diversify  the 
annals  of  such  a  world,  and  form  so  many  eras  in  its 
history,  may  be  the  occasional  visits  of  angelic  or 
other  messengers,  from  distant  regions  of  creation, 
to  announce  the  will  of  the  Almighty  on  particular 
emergencies,  to  relate  the  progress  of  new  creations 
in  other  parts  of  the  Divine  empire,  and  to  convey 
intelligence  respecting  the  physical  condition,  the 
moral  arrangements,  and  the  history  of  other  orders 
of  intellectual  beings.  Such  visits  and  occasional 
intercourses  with  celestial  beings,  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  more  frequent  in  our  world,  had  not  man 
rendered  himself  unqualified  for  such  associations,  by 
his  grovelling  affections,  and  by  the  moral  pollutions 
with  which  his  character  is  now  stained. 

When  we  turn  our  eyes  from  the  transactions  of 
such  a  world,  to  the  world  in  which  we  live,  how  very 
different  a  scene  is  presented  to  the  view  !  The 
history  of  all  nations  embraces  little  more  than 

A  RECORD  OF  THE  OPERATIONS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 

Every  occurrence  has  been  considered  as  tame  and 
insipid,  and  scarcely  worthy  of  being  recorded,  un¬ 
less  it  has  been  associated  with  the  confused  noise  of 
warriors,  the  shouts  of  conquerors,  the  plunder  of 
provinces,  the  devastation  of  empires,  the  groans  of 
mangled  victims,  the  cries  of  widows  and  orphans, 
and  with  garments  rolled  in  blood.  When  such 
malevolent  operations  cease  for  a  little  in  any  part 
of  the  world,  and  the  tumultuous  passions  which 
produced  them  subside  into  a  temporary  calm,  the 


MORAL  ASPECT  OF  OUR  WORLD. 


403 


historian  is  presented  with  a  blank  in  the  annals  of 
the  human  race ;  the  short  interlude  of  peace  and  of 
apparent  tranquillity  is  passed  over  as  unworthy  of 
notice,  till  the  restless  passions  of  avarice  and  ambi¬ 
tion  be  again  roused  into  fury,  and  a  new  set  of  des¬ 
peradoes  arise,  to  carry  slaughter  and  desolation 
through  the  nations.  For,  during  the  short  tempo¬ 
rary  periods  of  repose  from  the  din  of  war  which  the 
world  has  occasionally  enjoyed,  the  malignant  pas¬ 
sions,  which  were  only  smothered,  but  not  extin¬ 
guished,  prevented  the  operation  of  the  benevolent 
affections;  and,  of  course,  no  extensive  plans  for  the 
counteraction  of  evil,  and  the  improvement  of  man¬ 
kind,  worthy  of  being  recorded  by  the  annalist  and 
the  historian,  were  carried  into  effect. 

In  order  to  produce  a  definite  impression  of  the 
moral  state  of  the  world,  I  shall  endeavour,  in  this 
chapter,  to  give  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  prominent  dis¬ 
positions  of  mankind,  as  displayed  in  the  general 
train  of  human  actions — that  we  may  be  enabled  to 
form  a  rude  estimate  of  the  degree  in  which  the  law 
of  God  has  been  recognised,  and  of  the  extent  to 
which  its  violation  has  been  carried  on  the  great 
theatre  of  the  world,  and  in  the  ordinary  transactions 
of  general  society. 

I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  take  a  rapid  view  of  the 
moral  state  of  the  world  in  ancient  times,  and  then 
take  a  more  particular  survey  of  the  present  state  of 
morals,  among  savage  and  civilized  nations — in  the 
Christian  world — and  among  the  various  ranks  and 
orders  of  society. 


404 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  I. 

State  of  Morals  in  the  Ancient  World. 

Man  was  originally  formed  after  the  moral  image 
of  his  Maker.  ITis  understanding  was  quick  and 
vigorous  in  its  perceptions ;  his  will  subject  to  the 
divine  law,  and  to  the  dictates  of  reason  ;  his  passions 
serene  and  uncontaminated  with  evil ;  his  affections 
dignified  and  pure  ;  his  love  supremely  fixed  upon 
his  Creator ;  and  his  joy  unmingled  with  those  sor¬ 
rows  which  have  so  long  been  the  bitter  portion  of 
his  degenerate  race.  But  the  piimogenitor  of  man¬ 
kind  did  not  long  continue  in  the  dignified  station  in 
which  he  was  placed.  Though  he  was  placed  in  “a 
garden  of  delights,”  surrounded  with  every  thing 
that  was  delicious  to  the  taste  and  pleasant  to  the 
eye,  yet  he  dared  to  violate  a  positive  command  of 
his  Maker,  and  to  stretch  forth  his  impious  hand  to 
pluck  and  to  taste  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree — a 
picture  and  a  prelude  of  the  conduct  of  millions  of  his 
degraded  offspring,  who  despise  the  lawful  enjoyments 
which  lie  within  their  reach,  and  obstinately  rush  on 
forbidden  pleasures,  which  terminate  in  wretchedness 
and  sorrow.  The  dismal  effects  of  the  depraved 
dispositions  thus  introduced  among  the  human  spe¬ 
cies,  soon  became  apparent.  Cain,  the  first-born 
son  of  Adam,  had  no  sooner  reached  the  years  of 
maturity,  than  he  gave  vent  to  his  revengeful  pas¬ 
sions,  and  imbrued  his  hands  in  his  brother’s  blood. 
And  ever  since  the  perpetration  of  this  unnatural 
deed,  the  earth  has  been  drenched  with  the  blood  of 


MORALS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIANS.  405 


thousands  and  of  millions,  and  the  stream  of  corrup¬ 
tion  has  flowed  without  intermission,  and  in  every 
direction  around  the  globe. 

Of  the  state  of  mankind  in  the  ages  before  the 
flood,  the  sacred  history  furnishes  us  with  only  a  few 
brief  and  general  descriptions.  But  those  descrip¬ 
tions,  short  and  general  as  they  are,  present  to  us  a 
most  revolting  picture  of  the  pitch  of  depravity  and 
wickedness  to  which  the  human  race  had  arrived. 
We  have  the  testimony  of  God  himself  to  assure 
us,  that,  within  1600  years  from  the  creation  of  the 
world,  the  wickedness  of  men  had  become  great 
upon  the  earth — that  the  earth  was  filled  with  vio¬ 
lence” — yea,  that  “  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  man’s  heart  was  only  evil  continually,” — or,  as  it 
may  more  literally  be  rendered  from  the  Hebrew, 
“  the  whole  imagination,  comprehending  all  the  pur¬ 
poses  and  desires  of  the  mind,  was  only  evil  from 
day  to  day.”  “  God  looked  upon  the  earth  ;  and 
behold  it  was  corrupt ;  for  all  flesh  had  corrupted 
their  way  upon  the  earth.”  A  more  comprehensive 
summary  of  the  greatness  and  the  extent  of  human 
wickedness  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive.  The 
mind  is  left  to  fill  up  the  outline  of  this  horrid  pic¬ 
ture  with  every  thing  that  is  degrading  to  the  human 
character,  with  every  thing  that  is  profligate  and 
abominable  in  manners,  with  every  thing  that  is  base, 
false,  deceitful,  licentious,  and  profane,  and  with 
every  thing  that  is  horrible  and  destructive  in  war, 
and  ruinous  to  the  interests  of  human  happiness. 

The  description  now  quoted  contains  the  follow¬ 
ing  intimations  : — 1.  That,  previous  to  the  deluge, 
wickedness  had  become  universal.  It  was  not  merely 


406 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  majority  of  mankind  that  had  thus  given  un¬ 
bounded  scope  to  their  licentious  desires,  while 
smaller  societies  were  to  be  found  in  which  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  true  God,  and  the  precepts  of  his  law, 
were  observed  ;  for  “  all  flesh  had  corrupted  their 
ways.”  And  at  this  period  the  world  is  reckoned 
to  have  been  much  more  populous  than  it  has  been 
in  any  succeeding  age,  and  to  have  contained  at  least 
ten  billions  of  inhabitants ,  or  many  thousands  of 
times  the  amount  of  its  present  population.  So 
that  universal  wickedness  must  have  produced  misery 
among  human  beings  to  an  extent  of  which  we  can 
form  no  adequate  conception.  2.  The  description 
implies,  that  every  invention,  and  every  purpose  and 
scheme  devised  both  by  individuals  and  by  commu¬ 
nities,  was  of  a  malevolent  nature  :  “  The  imagina¬ 
tion  of  every  man’s  heart  was  only  evil  continually.” 
The  dreadful  spectacles  of  misery  and  horror  which 
the  universal  prevalence  of  such  principles  and  prac¬ 
tices  as  then  existed,  must  have  produced,  are  beyond 
the  power  of  human  imagination  either  to  conceive  or 
to  delineate.  Some  faint  idea,  however,  may  be 
formed  of  some  of  these  spectacles,  from  the  descrip¬ 
tion  I  have  already  given  of  the  effects  which  would 
inevitably  follow,  were  the  principle  of  benevolence  to 
be  eradicated  from  the  mind,  or  were  any  one  of  the 
precepts  of  the  divine  law  to  be  universally  violated — 
(see  Chap.  II.  sect.  iv.  and  Chap.  III.  throughout.) 
3.  The  effects  produced  by  this  universal  depravity 
are  forcibly  expressed  in  the  words,  “  The  earth  was 
filled  with  violence.”  From  this  declaration,  we  are 
necessarily  led  to  conceive  a  scene  in  which  anarchy  and 
disorder,  devastation  and  wretchedness,  every  where 


MORALS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIANS. 


407 


prevailed — the  strong  and  powerful  forcibly  seizing 
the  wealth  and  possessions  of  the  weak,  violating  the 
persons  of  the  female  sex,  oppressing  the  poor,  the 
widow,  and  the  fatherless,  overturning  the  established 
order  of  families  and  societies,  plundering  cities, 
demolishing  temples  and  palaces,  desolating  fields, 
orchards,  and  vineyards,  setting  fire  to  towns  and 
villages,  and  carrying  bloodshed  and  devastation 
through  every  land — a  scene  in  which  cruelty,  in¬ 
justice,  and  outrages  of  every  kind,  obscenity,  riot, 
and  debauchery  of  every  description,  triumphed  over 
every  principle  of  decency  and  virtue — a  scene  in 
which  the  earth  was  strewed  with  smoking  ruins, 
with  the  fragments  of  human  habitations,  with 
mangled  human  beings  in  a  state  of  wretchedness 
and  despair,  and  with  the  unburied  carcases  of  the 
slain. 

Such  appears  to  have  been  the  state  of  general 
society  at  the  time  when  Noah  was  commanded  to 
build  an  ark  of  refuge — a  state  of  society  which  could 
not  have  long  continued,  but  must  inevitably,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  generations,  have  thinned  the  race  of 
mankind,  and  ultimately  have  extirpated  the  race  of 
Adam  from  the  earth,  even  although  the  deluge  had 
never  been  poured  upon  the  world.  Wickedness 
appears  to  have  come  to  such  a  height,  that  no  in¬ 
terposition  of  Providence  could  be  supposed  available 
to  produce  a  reformation  among  mankind,  without 
destroying  their  freedom  of  will ;  and  therefore  it  was 
an  act  of  mercy ,  as  well  as  of  judgment,  to  sweep 
them  away  at  once  by  the  waters  of  the  flood,  after 
having  given  them  warnings  of  their  danger;  in  order 
to  convince  such  obstinate  and  abandoned  characters, 


408 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


that  <c  there  is  a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth  ;”  and 
in  order  to  prevent  the  misery  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  entailed  on  succeeding  generations. 

Not  only  the  Sacred,  but  also  the  Pagan  writers, 
when  alluding  to  the  antediluvians,  uniformly  repre¬ 
sent  them  as  abandoned  to  uncleanness,  and  all  kinds 
of  wickedness.  Eutychus,in  his  Annals ,  when  speak¬ 
ing  of  the  posterity  of  Cain,  says,  “  that  they  were 
guilty  of  all  manner  of  filthy  crimes  with  one  another, 
and,  meeting  together  in  public  places  for  that  pur¬ 
pose,  two  or  three  men  were  concerned  with  the  same 
woman  ;  the  ancient  women,  if  possible,  being  more 
lustful  and  brutish  than  the  young.  Nay,  fathers 
lived  promiscuously  with  their  daughters,  and  the 
young  men  with  their  mothers;  so  that  neither  the 
children  could  distinguish  their  own  parents,  nor  the 
parents  know  their  own  children.”  Lucian,  a  na¬ 
tive  of  Samosata,  a  town  situated  on  the  Euphrates, 
a  spot  where  memorials  of  the  deluge  were  carefully 
preserved,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  ante¬ 
diluvians  : — “  the  present  race  of  mankind,”  says 
he,  “  are  different  from  those  who  first  existed;  for 
those  of  the  antediluvian  world  were  all  destroyed. 

J 

The  present  world  is  peopled  from  the  sons  of  Deu¬ 
calion  [or  Noah];  having  increased  to  so  great  a  num¬ 
ber  from  one  person.  In  respect  of  the  former  brood, 
they  were  men  of  violence,  and  lawless  in  their  deal¬ 
ings.  They  were  contentious,  and  did  many  un¬ 
righteous  things ;  they  regarded  not  oaths,  nor  ob¬ 
served  the  rights  of  hospitality,  nor  showed  mercy  to 
those  who  sued  for  it.  On  this  account  they  were 
doomed  to  destruction  :  and  for  this  purpose  there 
was  a  mighty  eruption  of  waters  from  the  earth,  at- 


MORALS  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIANS.  409 

tended  with  heavy  showers  from  above ;  so  that  the 
rivers  swelled,  and  the  sea  overflowed,  till  the  whole 
earth  was  covered  with  a  flood,  and  all  flesh  drowned. 
Deucalion  alone  was  preserved  to  repeople  the  world. 
This  mercy  was  shown  to  him  on  account  of  his  piety 
and  justice.  His  preservation  was  effected  in  this 
manner  : — He  put  all  his  family,  both  his  sons  and 
their  wives,  into  a  vast  ark  which  he  had  provided, 
and  he  went  into  it  himself.  At  the  same  time,  ani¬ 
mals  of  every  species — boars,  horses,  lions,  serpents, 
whatever  kind  lived  upon  the  face  of  the  earth — fol¬ 
lowed  him  by  pairs ;  all  which  he  received  into  the 
ark,  and  experienced  no  evil  from  them  ;  for  there 
prevailed  a  wonderful  harmony  throughout,  by  the 
immediate  influence  of  the  Deity.  Thus  were  they 
wafted  with  him  as  long  as  the  flood  endured.” 

Such  is  the  account  which  Lucian  gives  of  the 
antediluvian  world,  and  of  the  preservation  of  the 
human  race,  as  he  received  it  from  the  traditions  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Hierapolis,  in  Syria,  where  the 
natives  pretended  to  have  very  particular  memorials 
of  the  deluge.  It  corroborates  the  facts  stated  in 
the  sacred  history,  and  bears  a  very  near  resemblance 
to  the  account  which  has  been  transmitted  to  us  by 
Moses. — These  facts  respecting  the  depravity  of  the 
antediluvians,  present  to  us  a  striking  example,  and 
a  demonstrative  evidence  of  the  dreadful  effects  to 
which  a  general  violation  of  the  divine  law  necessa¬ 
rily  leads ;  and  of  the  confusion  and  misery  which  are 
inevitably  produced  when  the  law  of  love  is  set  aside, 
and  when  malevolence  exerts,  without  control,  its 
diabolical  energies.  All  order  in  society  is  sub¬ 
verted,  every  species  of  rational  happiness  is  de- 
d.  2.  s 


410 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


stroyed,  and  the  existence  of  intelligent  beings,  in 
such  a  state,  becomes  a  curse  to  themselves  and  to 
all  around  them.  Had  not  this  been  the  case  in  the 
primeval  world,  we  cannot  suppose  that  the  Deity 
would  have  exerted  his  Omnipotence  in  shattering 
the  crust  of  the  terraqueous  globe,  and  burying  its 
inhabitants  under  the  waters  of  a  delude. 

o 

After  the  deluge  had  subsided,  and  the  race  of 
Noah  had  begun  to  multiply  in  the  earth,  it  was  not 
long  before  the  depravity  of  man  began  to  show  itself 
by  its  malignant  effects — though  human  wickedness 
has  never  arrived  to  such  a  pitch  as  in  the  times  be¬ 
fore  the  flood;  for  this  reason,  among  others,  that  the 
life  of  man  has  been  reduced  to  a  narrow  span,  which 
prevents  him  from  carrying  his  malevolent  schemes 
to  such  an  extent  as  did  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
before  the  flood,  whose  lives  were  prolonged  to  the 
period  of  nearly  a  thousand  years. — The  lust  of  am¬ 
bition  soon  began  to  exert  its  baleful  influence  over 
the  mind ;  and  an  inordinate  desire  after  wealth, 
distinctions,  and  aggrandizement,  paved  the  way  for 
the  establishment  of  despotism,  and  for  encroach¬ 
ments  on  the  rights  and  enjoyments  of  mankind. 

Among  the  heroes  and  despots  of  antiquity,  Nim¬ 
rod,  the  founder  of  the  Babylonish  empire,  holds  a 
distinguished  place.  He  was  the  grandson  of  Ham, 
the  son  of  Noah,  and  is  the  first  one  mentioned  in 
Scripture  who  appears  to  have  made  invasions  on  the 
territories  of  his  neighbours.  Having  distinguished 
himself  by  driving  from  his  country  the  beasts  of  prey, 
and  by  engaging  in  other  valorous  exploits,  he  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  aspired  after  regal  dignity  and  power, 
and  to  have  assumed  the  reins  of  absolute  govern- 


MORAI.S  OF  THE  POSTDILUVIANS. 


411 


ment.  He  was  the  first  that  subverted  the  patri¬ 
archal  government ;  and  is  supposed  to  have  intro¬ 
duced  among  his  subjects  the  Zabian  idolatry,  or  the 
worship  of  the  heavenly  host.  “  The  beginning  of 
his  kingdom,”  we  are  told,  “  was  Babel,  and  Erech, 
and  Accad,  and  Calneh,  in  the  land  of  Shinar.”  In 
the  footsteps  of  this  proud  and  ambitious  despot  has 
followed  a  train  of  Alexanders,  Cesars,  Hannibals, 
Jenghiz-Khans,  Attilas,  Alarics,  Tamerlanes,  Marl- 
boroughs,  Fredericks,  and  Buonapartes,  who  have 
driven  the  ploughshare  of  devastation  through  the 
world,  erected  thrones  over  the  graves  of  slaughtered 
nations,  decorated  their  palaces  with  trophies  dyed 
in  blood,  and  made  the  earth  to  resound  with  the 
groans  and  shrieks  of  dying  victims,  and  the  voice  of 
lamentation  and  woe. 

To  delineate  all  the  scenes  of  desolation  which 
have  been  produced  by  such  desperadoes,  and  the 
atrocious  crimes  which  have  followed  in  their  train, 
would  be  to  transcribe  the  whole  records  of  ancient 
and  modern  history,  which  contain  little  else  than  a 
register  of  human  folly,  avarice,  and  ambition;  and 
of  the  daring  villanies  with  which  they  have  been 
accompanied.  Even  then  we  should  acquire  but  a 
very  limited  conception  of  the  extent  of  moral  evil, 
and  of  the  immense  variety  of  shapes  which  it  has 
assumed  ;  for  the  one-tenth  of  the  crimes  of  mankind 
has  never  been  recorded,  and  it  is  to  the  public  trans¬ 
actions  of  only  a  small  portion  of  the  world  that  the 
page  of  the  historian  directs  our  attention.  I  shall 
therefore  content  myself  with  stating  a  few  insulated 
facts,  as  specimens  of  the  train  of  actions  which  have 
generally  prevailed  in  the  world. 

s  2 


412 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


WARLIKE  DISPOSITIONS  OF  MANKIND. 

War ,  as  already  noticed,  has  been  the  delight  and 
the  employment  of  man  in  every  age  ;  and  under  this 
term  may  be  included  every  thing  that  is  base  and 
execrable  in  moral  conduct,  and  subversive  of  the 
principle  of  benevolence  ;  every  thing  that  is  destruc¬ 
tive  of  human  enjoyment,  that  rouses  the  passions 
into  diabolical  fury,  and  adds  to  the  sum  of  human 
wretchedness  ;  every  thing  that  is  oppressive,  cruel, 
and  unjust,  and  every  thing  that  is  dreadful  and  ap¬ 
palling  to  mankind. — As  an  exemplification  of  the 
destructive  effects  of  war,  I  shall,  in  the  first  place, 
state  a  few  facts  in  relation  to  the  Carthaginians: — 

Carthage  was  originally  a  small  colony  of  Pheni- 
cians,  who,  about  800  years  before  the  Christian  era, 
settled  on  the  northern  coast  of  Africa,  on  a  small 
peninsula,  adjacent  to  the  bay  of  Tunis.  Having 
increased  in  wealth  and  power  by  means  of  their 
extensive  commerce,  like  most  other  nations  they 
attempted  to  make  inroads  on  the  territories  of  neigh¬ 
bouring  tribes,  and  to  plunder  them  of  their  trea¬ 
sures.  By  degrees  they  extended  their  power  over 
all  the  islands  in  the  Mediterranean,  Sicily  only  ex¬ 
cepted.  For  the  entire  conquest  of  this  island,  about 
480  years  before  Christ,  they  made  vast  preparations, 
which  lasted  for  three  years.  Their  army  consisted 
of  300,000  men  ;  their  fleet  was  composed  of  upwards 
of  2000  men  of  war,  and  3000  transports.  With 
such  an  immense  armament,  they  made  no  doubt  of 
conquering  the  whole  island  in  a  single  campaign. 
But  they  were  miserably  deceived.  Hamilcar,  the 


WARLIKE  DISPOSITIONS.  413 

most  experienced  captain  of  the  age,  sailed  from 
Carthage  with  this  formidable  army,  and  invested  the 
city  of  Hymera.  The  besieged  were  much  straitened 
and  dismayed  by  the  operations  of  this  powerful 
armament ;  but  Gelon,  the  tyrant  of  Syracuse,  flew 
immediately  to  their  relief,  with  50,000  foot  and 
5000  horse.  A  dreadful  slaughter  ensued  ;  a  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  thousand  of  the  Carthaginians  were 
killed  in  the  battle  and  pursuit,  and  all  the  rest  taken 
prisoners ;  so  that  not  a  single  person  escaped  of  this 
mighty  army.  Of  the  2000  ships  of  war,  and  the 
3000  transports,  of  which  the  fleet  consisted,  eight 
ships  only,  which  then  happened  to  be  out  at  sea, 
made  their  escape  :  these  immediately  set  sail  for 
Carthage,  but  were  all  cast  away,  and  every  soul 
perished,  except  a  few  who  were  saved  in  a  small 
boat,  and  at  last  reached  Carthage  with  the  dismal 
tidings  of  the  total  loss  of  the  fleet  and  army. 

Here  we  have  presented  to  our  view,  in  one  short 
struggle,  the  entire  destruction  of  more  than  two 
hundred  thousand  human  beings,  if  we  take  into  ac¬ 
count  the  number  which  must  necessarily  have  fallen 
in  the  Sicilian  army.  And,  if*  we  take  into  consi¬ 
deration  the  many  thousands  of  mangled  wretches, 
whose  existence,  from  that  moment,  would  be  ren¬ 
dered  miserable;  the  destruction  of  property  in  the 
besieged  city ;  the  victims  crushed  to  death  amidst 
the  ruins  of  falling  houses ;  the  cries,  and  shrieks, 
and  lamentations  of  women  and  children ;  the  dis¬ 
eases  and  misery  induced  by  terror  and  alarm,  and 
the  loss  of  friends ;  the  appalling  spectacle  of  5000 
ships  all  on  a  blaze,  of  ten  thousands  of  burning  and 
drowning  wretches,  supplicating  in  vain  for  mercy, 


414 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  the  execrations  and  furious  yells  which  would  be 
mingled  with  this  work  of  destruction,  we  shall  find 
^difficult  to  form  an  adequate  conception  of  the  mi¬ 
series  and  horrors  of  such  a  scene.  And  what  was 
the  cause  of  this  dreadful  slaughter  and  devastation  ? 
That  a  proud  and  opulent  city,  whose  inhabitants 
were  rioting  in  every  species  of  luxury,  might  gratify 
its  ambition,  by  tyrannizing  over  neighbouring  tribes, 
and  by  plundering  them  of  that  wealth  of  which  it 
did  not  stand  in  need.  And  this  is  but  one  instance 
out  of  ten  hundred  thousand  of  the  miseries  of  war, 
one  faint  shade  in  the  picture  of  human  woe  ! 

One  would  have  thought  that,  after  such  a  signal 
loss  and  discomfiture,  the  Carthaginians  would  have 
contented  themselves  with  their  own  territory,  and 
refrained  from  aggressive  war.  This,  however,  was 
not  the  case.  Where  benevolence  is  banished  from 
the  mind,  and  revenge  occupies  its  place,  it  will  hurry 
unprincipled  men  to  the  most  wild  and  atrocious  ac¬ 
tions,  although  they  should  terminate  in  destruction 
to  themselves,  and  to  all  around  them.  It  was  not 
long  after  this  period,  when  preparations  were  again 
made  for  the  invasion  of  Sicily.  Hannibal,  the 
grandson  of  Hamilcar,  landed  on  the  coast  of  Sicily, 
and  laid  seme  to  Selinus.  The  besieged  made  a 
vigorous  defence;  but  at  last  the  city  was  taken  by 
storm,  and  the  inhabitants  were  treated  with  the  ut¬ 
most  cruelty.  All  were  massacred  by  the  savage 
conquerors,  except  the  women,  who  fled  to  the  tem¬ 
ples  ; — and  these  escaped,  not  through  the  merciful 
dispositions  of  the  Carthaginians,  but  because  they 
were  afraid,  that,  if  driven  to  despair,  they  would 
set  fire  to  the  temples,  and  by  that  means  consume 


CARTHAGINIAN  WARS. 


415 


the  treasure  they  expected  to  find  in  those  places. 
Sixteen  thousand  were  massacred ;  the  women  and 
children,  about  5000  in  number,  were  carried  away 
captive  ;  the  temples  were  plundered  of  all  their  trea¬ 
sures,  and  the  city  razed  to  the  ground.  Hymera 
was  next  besieged  by  Hannibal,  and  razed  to  its  foun¬ 
dations.  He  forced  three  thousand  prisoners  to 
undergo  all  kinds  of  ignominy  and  punishments,  and 
at  last  murdered  them,  on  the  very  spot  where  his 
grandfather  had  been  killed  by  Gelon’s  cavalry,  to 
appease  and  satisfy  his  manes,  by  the  blood  of  these 
unhappy  victims.  Such  is  the  humanity  and  the 
justice  of  those  men,  whom  we  are  accustomed  to 
distinguish  by  the  names  of  Patriots  and  Heroes! — 
Elated  with  these  partial  victories,  the  Carthaginians 
meditated  the  reduction  of  the  whole  of  Sicily, 
They  marched  against  the  city  of  Agrigentum,  and 
battered  its  walls  with  dreadful  fury.  The  besieged 
defended  themselves  with  incredible  resolution.  In 
a  sally,  they  burned  all  the  battering  machines  raised 
against  their  city,  and  repulsed  tne  enemy  with  im¬ 
mense  slaughter.  Again  the  Carthaginians  rallied 
their  forces,  beat  down  the  walls  of  the  city,  plundered 
it  of  an  immense  booty,  and,  with  their  usual  cruelty, 
put  all  its  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  not  excepting 
even  those  who  had  fled  to  the  temples.  The  Car¬ 
thaginians  were  soon  after  forced  to  retire  from  Sicily. 
Again  they  renewed  their  expeditions  ;  again  they 
were  repulsed;  and  again  they  plunged  into  the  hor¬ 
rors  of  war;  while  thousands  and  ten  thousands  were 
slaughtered  at  every  onset;  men,  women,  and  children 
massacred  in  cold  blood;  and  the  pestilence,  produced 
by  the  unburied  carcases  of  the  slain,  proved  more 
fatal  to  myriads  than  even  the  sword  of  the  warrior. 


416 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


In  this  manner  did  these  infatuated  mortals  carry 
on  a  series  of  sanguinary  contests  for  several  cen¬ 
turies,  with  the  Sicilians,  Greeks,  and  other  na¬ 
tions;  till,  at  length,  they  dared  to  encounter  the 
power  and  the  formidable  forces  of  the  Romans, 
and  commenced  those  dreadful  and  long-continued 
conflicts,  distinguished  in  History  by  the  name  of 
the  Punic  Wars.  The  first  Punic  War  lasted 
twenty-four  years;  the  second,  seventeen  years ;  and 
the  third,  four  years  and  some  months.  In  this  last 
contest,  the  ploughshare  of  destruction  was  literally 
driven  through  their  devoted  city  by  the  Romans. 
It  was  delivered  up  to  be  plundered  by  their  soldiers; 
its  gold,  silver,  statues,  and  other  treasures,  amount¬ 
ing  to  4,470,000  pounds  weight  of  silver,  were 
carried  off  to  Rome ;  its  towers,  ramparts,  walls,  and 
all  the  works  which  the  Carthaginians  had  raised  in 
the  course  of  many  ages,  were  levelled  with  the 
ground.  Fire  was  set  to  the  edifices  of  this  proud 
metropolis,  which  consumed  them  all,  not  a  single 
house  escaping  the  fury  of  the  flames.  And,  though 
the  fire  began  in  all  quarters  at  the  same  time,  and 
burned  with  incredible  violence,  it  continued  for 
seventeen  days  before  all  the  buildings  were  con¬ 
sumed. — Thus  perished  Carthage — a  city  which 
contained  700,000  inhabitants,  and  which  had  waged 
so  many  ferocious  wars  with  neighbouring  nations — 
a  terrible  example  of  the  destructive  effects  produced 
by  malevolent  passions,  and  of  the  retributive  justice 
of  the  Governor  of  the  world.  The  destruction  of 
human  life  in  the  numerous  wars  in  which  it  was  en¬ 
gaged,  is  beyond  all  specific  calculation.  During 
the  space  of  sixteen  years,  Hannibal,  the  Cartha- 


SCENES  OF  HUMAN  DESTRUCTION.  417 

ginian  general,  plundered  no  less  than  four  hundred 
towns,  and  destroyed  300,000  of  his  enemies ;  and 
we  may  safely  reckon,  that  nearly  an  equal  number 
of  his  own  men  must  have  been  cut  off  by  the  op¬ 
posing  armies  :  so  that  several  millions  of  human 
victims  must  have  been  sacrificed  in  these  bloody  wars. 

The  following  is  a  summary  statement  of  the 
number  of  human  beings  that  were  slain  in  several 
of  the  battles  recorded  in  history. — In  the  year  101 
before  Christ,  in  an  engagement  between  Marius, 
the  Roman  Consul,  and  the  Ambrones  and  the 
Teutones,  in  Transalpine  Gaul,  there  were  slain 
of  these  barbarians,  besides  what  fell  in  the  Roman 
army,  200,000,  some  historians  say  290,000.  And 
it  is  related,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbour¬ 
ing  country  made  fences  for  vineyards  of  their  bones. 
In  the  following  year,  the  Romans,  under  the  com¬ 
mand  of  the  same  general,  slaughtered  140,000  of 
the  Cimbri,  and  took  60,000  prisoners.  In  the 
year  105  B.  C.  the  Romans,  in  a  single  engage¬ 
ment  with  the  Cimbri  and  the  Teutones,  lost  up¬ 
wards  of  80,000  men.  In  the  battle  of  Cannae,  the 
Romans  were  surrounded  by  the  forces  of  Hannibal, 
and  cut  to  pieces.  After  an  engagement  of  only 
three  hours,  the  carnage  became  so  dreadful,  that 
even  the  Carthaginian  general  cried  out,  to  spare  the 
conquered.  Above  40,000  Romans  were  left  dead 
on  the  field,  and  6000  of  the  Carthaginian  army. 
What  a  dreadful  display  of  the  fury  of  diabolical 
passions  must  have  been  exhibited  on  this  occasion  ! 
and  what  a  horrible  scene  must  have  been  repre¬ 
sented  on  the  field  of  battle,  when  we  consider,  that, 
in  the  mode  of  ancient  warfare,  the  slain  were  literally 

s  3 


418 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


cut  to  pieces! — In  the  battle  of  Issus,  between  Alex¬ 
ander  and  Darius,  were  slain  110,000;  in  the  battle 
of  Arbela,  two  years  afterwards,  between  the  same 
two  despots,  300,000;  in  the  battle  between  Pyrrhus 
and  the  Romans,  25,000 ;  in  the  battle  between 
Scipio  and  Asdrubal,  40,000 ;  in  the  battle  between 
Suetonius  and  Boadicea,  80,000.  In  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem  by  Vespasian,  according  to  the  account  of 
Josephus,  there  were  destroyed,  in  the  most  terrible 
manner,  1,100,000;  and  there  were  slaughtered  in 
Jerusalem,  in  170  B.  C.  by  Antiochus,  40,000. 
At  Cyrene,  there  were  slain  of  Romans  and  Greeks, 
by  the  Jews,  220,000;  in  Egypt  and  Cyprus,  in  the 
reign  of  Trajan,  240,000;  and  in  the  reign  of 
Adrian,  580,000  Jews.  After  Julius  Caesar  had 
carried  his  arms  into  the  territories  of  the  Usipetes 
in  Germany,  he  defeated  them  with  such  slaughter, 
that  400,000  are  said  to  have  perished  in  one  battle. 
At  the  defeat  of  Attila,  king  of  the  Huns,  at 
Chalons,  there  perished  about  300,000.  In  the 
year  631,  there  were  slain  by  the  Saracens  in  Syria, 
60,000;  in  the  invasion  of  Milan  by  the  Goths,  no 
less  than  300,000 ;  and  in  A.  D.  734,  by  the  Sa¬ 
racens  in  Spain,  370,000.  In  the  battle  of  Fon- 
tenay,  were  slaughtered  100,000;  in  the  battle  of 
Ycrmouk,  150,000  ;  and  in  the  battle  between 
Charles  Martel  and  the  Mahometans,  350,000. 
In  the  battle  of  Muret,  in  A.  D.  1213,  between 
the  Catholics  and  the  Albigenses,  were  slain  32,000; 
in  the  battle  of  Cressy,  in  1346,  50,000;  in  the 
battle  of  Halidon-bill,  in  1333,  20,000;  in  the  battle 
of  Agincourt,  in  1415,  20,000;  in  the  battle  of 
Towton,  in  1461,  37,000;  in  the  battle  of  Lepanto, 


NUMBERS  SLAIN  IN  WAR. 


419 


in  1571,  25,000;  at  the  siege  of  Vienna,  in  1683, 
70,000;  and  in  a  battle  in  Persia,  1734,  60,000.* 
The  most  numerous  army  of  which  we  have  any 
account  in  the  annals  of  history,  was  that  of  Xerxes. 
According  to  the  estimate  of  Rollin,  which  is  founded 
on  the  statements  of  Herodotus,  Isocrates,  and  Plu¬ 
tarch,  this  army  consisted  of  1,700,000  foot,  80,000 
horse,  and  20,000  men  for  conducting  the  carriages 
and  camels.  On  passing  the  Hellespont,  an  addi¬ 
tion  was  made  to  it  from  other  nations,  of  300,000, 
which  made  his  land  forces  amount  to  2,100,000. 
His  fleet  consisted  of  1207  vessels,  each  carrying 
230  men;  in  all  277,610  men,  which  was  augmented 
by  the  European  nations,  with  1200  vessels,  carry¬ 
ing  240,000  men.  Besides  this  fleet,  the  small 
gallies,  transport  ships,  &c.  amounted  to  3000,  con¬ 
taining  about  240,000  men.  Including  servants, 
eunuchs,  women,  sutlers,  and  others,  who  usually 
follow  an  army,  it  is  reckoned,  that  the  whole 
number  of  souls  that  followed  Xerxes  into  Greece, 
amounted  to  5,283,220  ;  which  is  more  than  the 
whole  of  the  male  population  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  above  twenty  years  of  age,  and  nearly  triple 
the  population  of  Scotland.  After  remaining  some 
time  in  Greece,  nearly  the  whole  of  this  immense 
army,  along  with  the  fleet,  was  routed  and  destroyed. 
Mardonius,  one  of  his  ablest  commanders,  with  an 
army  of  300,000,  was  finally  defeated  and  slain  at 
the  battle  of  Platea,  and  only  3000  of  this  vast  army, 
with  difficulty,  escaped  destruction. 

*  The  above  statements  are  collected  from  the  facts  stated  in 
Rollin’s  Ancient  History,  Millot’s  Elements,  Mayor’s  Universal 
History,  the  historical  articles  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica, 
from  a  list  of  battles  contained  in  the  “  Pictures  of  War,”  &c. 


420 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


The  destruction  of  human  life  in  the  wars  which 
accompanied  and  followed  the  incursions  of  the  bar¬ 
barians  who  overthrew  the  Roman  empire,  is  beyond 
all  calculation  or  conception.  It  forms  an  era  in 
history  most  degrading  to  the  human  species.  In 
the  war  which  was  waged  in  Africa,  in  the  days  of 
Justinian,  Procopius  remarks,  <£  It  is  no  exaggera¬ 
tion  to  say,  that  five  millions  perished  by  the  sword, 
and  famine,  and  pestilence.”  The  same  author 
states,  that,  during  the  twenty  years’  war  which  Jus¬ 
tinian  carried  on  with  the  Gothic  conquerors  of  Italy, 
the  loss  of  the  Goths  amounted  to  above  15,000,000  ; 
nor  will  this  appear  incredible,  when  we  find,  that  in 
one  campaign,  50,000  labourers  died  of  hunger. 
About  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century  arose 
that  cruel  and  bloody  tyrant  Jenghiz-Khan.  With 
immense  armies,  some  of  them  amounting  to  more 
than  a  million  in  number,  he  overran  and  subdued  the 
kingdom  of  Hya  in  China,  Tangut,  Kitay,  Turke¬ 
stan,  Karazm,  Great  Buckaria,  Persia,  and  part  of 
India,  committing  the  most  dreadful  cruelties  and 
devastations.  It  is  computed,  that,  during  the  last 
twenty-two  years  of  his  reign,  no  fewer  than 
14,470,000  persons  were  butchered  by  this  scourge 
of  the  human  race.  He  appeared  like  an  infernal 
fiend,  breathing  destruction  to  the  nations  of  the 
East ;  and  the  principle  which  he  adopted  after  con¬ 
quest,  was  utter  extermination. 

Nearly  about  the  same  period,  when  this  monster 
was  ravaging  and  slaughtering  the  eastern  world, 
those  mad  expeditions,  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
the  Crusades ,  were  going  forward  in  the  west.  Six 
millions  of  infatuated  wretches,  raging  with  hatred, 


SCENES  OF  HUMAN  DESTRUCTION. 


42  i 


and  thirsting  for  blood,  assumed  the  image  of  the 
cross,  and  marched  in  wild  disorder  to  the  confines 
of  the  Holy  Land,  to  recover  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
from  the  hands  of  the  infidels.  In  these  holy  wars , 
as  they  were  impiously  termed,  more  than  850,000 
Europeans  were  sacrificed  before  they  obtained  pos¬ 
session  of  Nice,  Antioch,  and  Edessa.  At  the 
siege  of  Acre,  300,000  were  slain ;  and  at  the  tak¬ 
ing  of  Jerusalem,  in  1099,  about  70,000.  For 
196  years,  these  wild  expeditions  continued  in 
vogue,  and  were  urged  forward  by  proclamations 
issued  from  the  throne,  and  by  fanatical  sermons 
thundered  from  the  pulpit,  till  several  millions  of  de¬ 
luded  mortals  perished  from  the  earth  ;  for  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  those  who  engaged  in  the  Crusades, 
were  either  slain  or  taken  prisoners.  About  this 
period,  and  several  centuries  before  it,  the  whole 
earth  exhibited  little  else  than  one  great  field  of 
battle,  in  which  nations  were  dashing  against  each 
other,  conquerors  ravaging  kingdoms,  tyrants  exer¬ 
cising  the  most  horrid  cruelties;  superstition  and 
revenge  immolating  their  millions  of  victims;  and 
tumults,  insurrections,  slaughter,  and  universal  alarm, 
banishing  peace  from  the  world,  and  subverting  the 
moral  order  of  society.  “  In  Europe,  Germany  and 
Italy  were  distracted  by  incessant  contests  between 
the  pope  and  the  emperors;  the  interior  of  every 
European  kingdom  was  torn  in  pieces  by  the  con¬ 
tending  ambition  of  the  powerful  barons ;  in  the 
Mahommedan  empire,  the  caliphs,  sultans,  emirs,  &c. 
waged  continual  war;  new  sovereignties  were  daily 
arising,  and  daily  destroyed :  and  amidst  this  univer¬ 
sal  slaughter  and  devastation,  the  whole  earth  seemed 


422 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


in  danger  of  being  laid  waste,  and  the  human  race 
to  suffer  a  total  annihilation.”* 

Such  is  a  bird’s  eye  view  of  the  destruction  of  the 
human  species,  which  war  has  produced  in  different 
periods.  The  instances  I  have  brought  forward 
present  only  a  few  detached  circumstances  in  the  an¬ 
nals  of  warfare,  and  relate  only  to  a  few  limited  periods 
in  the  history  of  man  ;  and  yet,  in  the  four  instances 
above-stated,  we  are  presented  with  a  scene  of  hor¬ 
ror,  which  includes  the  destruction  of  nearly  50  mil¬ 
lions  of  human  beings. 

What  a  vast  and  horrific  picture,  then,  would  be 
presented  to  the  eye,  could  we  take  in  at  one  view  all 
the  scenes  of  slaughter  which  have  been  realized  in  every 
period,  in  every  nation,  and  among  every  tribe  !  If 
we  take  into  consideration  not  only  the  number  of  those 
who  have  fallen  in  the  field  of  battle,  but  of  those 
who  have  perished  through  the  natural  consequences 
of  war,  by  the  famine  and  the  pestilence  which  war  has 
produced ;  by  disease,  fatigue,  terror,  and  melancholy; 
and  by  the  oppression,  injustice,  and  cruelty  of  sav¬ 
age  conquerors, — it  will  not,  perhaps,  be  overrating 
the  destruction  of  human  life,  if  we  affirm,  that  one- 
tenth  of  the  human  race  has  been  destroyed  by  the 
ravages  of  war.  And  if  this  estimate  be  admitted, 
it  will  follow,  that  more  than  fourteen  thousand  mil¬ 
lions  of  human  beings  have  been  slaughtered  in  war 
since  the  beginning  of  the  world — which  is  about 
eighteen  times  the  number  of  inhabitants  which,  at 
present,  exist  on  the  globe  ;  or,  in  other  words,  it  is 
equivalent  to  the  destruction  of  the  inhabitants  of 


*  Mayor’s  Universal  History,  Robertson’s  Charles  V.,  &c. 


NUMBERS  SLAIN  IN  WAR. 


423 


eighteen  worlds  of  the  same  population  as  ours.* 
That  this  conclusion  is  rather  within  than  beyond 
the  bounds  of  truth,  will  appear  from  what  has  been 
stated  above  respecting  the  destruction  of  the  Goths, 
in  the  time  of  Justinian.  In  the  course  of  twenty 
years,  15  millions  of  persons  perished  in  the  wars. 
Now,  if  the  population  of  the  countries  of  Europe,  in 
which  these  wars  took  place,  did  not  exceed  60  mil¬ 
lions,  the  proportion  of  the  slaughtered  to  the  whole 
population  was  as  one  to  four ,  and  if  twenty  years  be 
reckoned  as  only  half  the  period  of  a  generation,  the 
proportion  was  as  one  to  two  ;  in  other  words,  at  the 
rate  of  one  half  of  a  whole  generation  in  the  course 
of  forty  years.  What  a  horrible  and  tremendous  con¬ 
sideration  ! — to  reflect,  that  14,000,000,000  of  beings 
endowed  with  intellectual  faculties,  and  furnished 
with  bodies  curiously  organized  by  divine  wisdom — 
that  the  inhabitants  of  eighteen  worlds  should  have 
been  massacred,  mangled,  and  cut  to  pieces  by  those 
who  were  partakers  of  the  same  common  nature,  as 
if  they  had  been  created  merely  for  the  work  of 
destruction  !  Language  is  destitute  of  words  suffi¬ 
ciently  strong  to  express  the  emotions  of  the  mind, 
when  it  seriously  contemplates  the  horrible  scene. 
And  how  melancholy  is  it  to  reflect,  that  in  the  pre¬ 
sent  age,  which  boasts  of  its  improvements  in  science, 
in  civilization,  and  in  religion,  neither  reason,  nor 
benevolence,  nor  humanity,  nor  Christianity,  has  yet 
availed  to  arrest  the  progress  of  destroying  armies, 
and  to  set  a  mark  of  ignominy  on  <£  the  people  who 
delight  in  war  !” 

*  This  calculation  proceeds  on  the  ground,  that  145  thousand 
millions  of  men  have  existed  since  the  Mosaic  creation. — See 
Christian  Philosopher,  4th  edit.  Art.  Geography. 


424 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR. 

However  numerous  may  have  been  the  victims 
that  have  been  sacrificed  in  war,  it  is  not  so  much 
the  mere  extinction  of  human  life  that  renders  the 
scene  of  warfare  so  horrible,  as  the  cruelties  with 
which  it  has  always  been  accompanied,  and  the  in¬ 
fernal  passions  which  it  has  engendered  and  carried 
into  operation.  It  extirpates  every  principle  of  com¬ 
passion,  humanity,  and  justice;  it  blunts  the  feelings, 
and  hardens  the  heart ;  it  invents  instruments  of  tor¬ 
ture,  and  perpetrates,  without  a  blush,  cruelties  re¬ 
volting  to  every  principle  of  virtue  and  benevolence. 

When  Jerusalem  was  taken  by  Antiochus  Epi- 
phanes,  in  the  year  168  B.  C.  he  gave  orders  to 
one  division  of  his  army  to  cut  in  pieces  all  who  were 
found  in  the  temple  and  synagogues;  while  another 
party,  going  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  massa¬ 
cred  all  that  came  in  their  way.  He  next  ordered 
the  city  to  be  plundered  and  set  on  fire ;  pulled  down 
all  their  stately  buildings ;  caused  the  walls  to  be  de¬ 
molished,  and  carried  away  captive  ten  thousand  of 
those  who  had  escaped  the  slaughter.  He  set  up 
the  statue  of  Jupiter  Olympus  on  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offerings,  and  all  who  refused  to  come  and  worship 
this  idol  were  either  massacred,  or  put  to  some  cruel 
tortures,  till  they  either  complied  or  expired  under 
the  hands  of  the  executioners.  In  the  war  which 
the  Carthaginians  waged  with  the  Mercenaries,  Ha- 
milcar,  the  Carthaginian  general,  threw  all  the  pri¬ 
soners  that  fell  into  his  hands  to  be  devoured  by 
wild  beasts.  Asdrubal,  another  Carthaginian  gene- 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR.  425 


ral,  when  engaged  in  war  against  the  Romans,  in  re¬ 
venge  for  a  defeat  he  had  sustained,  brought  all  the 
Roman  prisoners  he  had  taken  during  two  years, 
upon  the  walls,  in  sight  of  the  whole  Roman  army. 
There  he  put  them  to  the  most  exquisite  tortures, 
putting  out  their  eyes,  cutting  off  their  noses,  ears, 
and  fingers,  legs  and  arms,  tearing  their  skin  to 
pieces  with  iron  rakes  or  harrows  ;  and  then  threw 
them  headlong  from  the  top  of  the  battlements.* 
He  was  of  a  temper  remarkably  inhuman,  and  it  is 
said  that  he  even  took  pleasure  in  seeing  some  of 
these  unhappy  men  flayed  alive. — In  the  year  1201, 
when  Jenghiz-Khan  had  reduced  the  rebels  who  had 
seized  upon  his  paternal  possessions,  as  a  specimen 
of  his  lenity,  he  caused  seventy  of  their  chiefs  to  be 
thrown  into  as  many  cauldrons  of  boiling  water. 
The  plan  on  which  this  tyrant  conducted  his  expedi¬ 
tions,  as  already  stated,  was  that  of  total  extermina¬ 
tion.  For  some  time  he  utterly  extirpated  the  inha¬ 
bitants  of  those  places  which  he  conquered,  design- 
ing  to  people  them  anew  with  his  Moguls;  and,  in 
consequence  of  this  resolution,  he  would  employ  his 
army  in  beheading  100,000  prisoners  at  once. — Ta¬ 
merlane,  one  of  his  successors,  who  followed  in  his 
footsteps,  is  said  to  have  been  more  humane  than 
this  cruel  despot.  Historians  inform  us,  that  “  his 
sportive  cruelty  seldom  went  farther  than  the  pound¬ 
ing  of  three  or  four  thousand  people  in  large  mortars, 
or  building  them  among  bricks  and  mortar  into  a 
wall.”  If  such  be  the  “  tender  mercies  of  the 
wicked,”  how  dreadful  beyond  description  must  their 
cruelties  be  ! 


*  Rollin’s  Ancient  Hist.  Vol.  1. 


426 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


w  e  are  accustomed  to  hear  Alexander  the  Great 
eulogized  as  a  virtuous  and  magnanimous  hero;  and 
even  the  celebrated  Montesquieu,  in  his  <{  Spirit  of 
Laws,”  has  written  a  panegyric  on  his  character. 
Yet  we  find  him  guilty  of  the  most  abominable  vices, 
and  perpetrating  the  most  atrocious  crimes.  At  the 
instigation  of  the  strumpet  Thais,  during  a  drunken 
banquet,  he  set  on  fire  the  beautiful  city  of  Perse- 
polis,  and  consumed  it  to  ashes.  Clitus,  one  of  his 
captains,  and  brother  of  Helenice  who  had  nursed 
Alexander,  had  saved  his  life,  at  the  battle  of  the 
Granicus,  at  the  imminent  hazard  of  his  own.  Yet 
this  man,  to  whom  he  was  so  highly  indebted,  he 
thrust  through  with  a  javelin,  at  an  entertainment  to 
which  he  had  invited  him;  on  account  of  his  utter¬ 
ing  some  strong  expressions,  which  were  intended  to 
moderate  Alexander’s  vanity.  His  treatment  of  the 
Branchida;  furnishes  an  example  of  the  most  brutal 
and  frantic  cruelty  which  history  records.  These 
people  received  Alexander,  while  pursuing  his  con¬ 
quests,  with  the  highest  demonstrations  of  joy,  and 
surrendered  to  him  both  themselves  and  their  city. 
The  next  day  he  commanded  his  phalanx  to  surround 
the  city  ;  and  a  signal  being  given,  they  were  ordered 
to  plunder  it,  and  to  put  every  one  of  its  inhabitants 
to  the  sword,  which  inhuman  order  was  executed 
with  the  same  barbarity  with  which  it  had  been 
given.  All  the  citizens,  at  the  very  time  they  were 
going  to  pay  homage  to  Alexander,  were  murdered 
in  the  streets  and  in  their  houses  ;  no  manner  of  re¬ 
gard  being  had  to  their  cries  and  tears,  nor  the  least 
distinction  made  of  age  or  sex.  They  even  pulled 
up  the  very  foundations  of  the  walls,  in  order  that 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR.  427 


not  the  least  traces  of  that  city  might  remain.  And 
why  were  these  ill-fated  citizens  punished  in  so  sum¬ 
mary  and  inhuman  a  manner?  Merely  because 
their  forefathers,  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  before,  had  delivered  up  to  Xerxes  the  trea¬ 
sure  of  the  temple  Didymaon,  with  which  they  had 
been  intrusted  !  * — When  he  entered  the  city  of 
Ty  re,  after  a  siege  of  seven  months,  he  gave  orders 
to  kill  all  the  inhabitants,  except  those  who  had  fled 
to  the  temples,  and  set  fire  to  every  part  of  the  city. 
Eight  thousand  men  were  barbarously  slaughtered  ; 
and  two  thousand  more  remaining,  after  the  soldiers 
had  been  glutted  with  slaughter,  he  fixed  two  thou¬ 
sand  crosses  along  the  sea  shore,  f  and  caused  them 
all  to  be  crucified. 

War  has  given  rise  to  the  most  shocking  and  un¬ 
natural  crimes,  the  idea  of  which  might  never  other¬ 
wise  have  entered  into  the  human  mind.  Lathyrus, 
after  an  engagement  with  Alexander,  king  of  the 
Jews,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Jordan, — the  same 
evening  he  gained  the  battle,  in  going  to  take  up 
his  quarters  in  the  neighbouring  villages,  he  found 
them  full  of  women  and  children,  and  caused  them 
all  to  be  put  to  the  sword,  and  their  bodies  to  be  cut 
to  pieces,  and  put  into  cauldrons  in  order  to  their 
being  dressed,  as  if  he  intended  to  make  his  army  sup 
upon  them.  His  design  was  to  have  it  believed,  that 
his  troops  ate  human  flesh,  to  spread  the  greater  ter¬ 
ror  throughout  the  surrounding  country.  J 

Even  under  the  pretext  of  religion,  and  of  the 
Christian  Religion  too,  the  most  shocking  barbarities 


*  Rollin’s  Ancient  Hist. 


f  Ibid.  t  Ibid- 


428 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


have  been  committed.  Under  the  pretence  of  vin¬ 
dicating  the  cause  of  Him  who,  in  the  midst  of  cruel 
sufferings  from  men,  prayed,  £t  Father,  forgive  them, 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do,”  the  Crusaders  hur¬ 
ried  forward  towards  Jerusalem,  wading  through  seas 
of  blood.  When  their  banners  were  hoisted  on  a 
principal  eminence  of  Antioch,  they  commenced  their 
butchery  of  the  sleeping  inhabitants.  The  dignity 
of  age,  the  helplessness  of  youth,  and  the  beauty  of 
the  weaker  sex,  were  disregarded  by  these  sanctimo¬ 
nious  savages.  Houses  were  no  sanctuaries ;  and 
the  sight  of  a  mosque  added  new  virulence  to  cruelty. 
The  number  of  Turks  massacred  on  this  night  of 
frantic  fury,  was  at  least  ten  thousand.  After  every 
species  of  habitation,  from  the  marble  palace  to  the 
meanest  hovel,  had  been  converted  into  a  scene  of 
slaughter ;  when  the  narrow  streets  and  the  spacious 
squares  were  all  alike  disfigured  with  human  gore, 
and  crowded  with  mangled  carcases,  then  the  assassins 
turned  robbers,  and  became  as  mercenary  as  they  had 
been  merciless.  When  Jerusalem  was  taken  by  these 
furious  fanatics,  they  suffered  none  to  escape  the 
slaughter:  “  Yet,  after  they  had  glutted  themselves 
with  blood  and  carnage,  they  immediately  became 
devout  pilgrims,  and,  in  religious  transports,  ran  bare¬ 
footed  to  visit  the  holy  sepulchre.”*  In  what  light 
must  that  Religion  appear  to  Eastern  infidels,  which  is 
supposed  to  lead  to  the  perpetration  of  such  enormities  ? 
And  how  wofully  are  the  mild  precepts  and  doctrines 
of  Christianity  misrepresented,  when  desperadoes  of 
this  description  dare  assume  the  Christian  name  ! 


*  Millot’s  Elements  of  Gen.  Hist. 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR. 


129 


Even  the  finer  feelings  of  the  female  sex  have 
been  blunted,  and,  in  many  instances,  quite  extirpated, 
by  the  mad  schemes  of  ambition,  and  the  practices 
connected  with  war.  Towards  the  beginning  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  a  queen  of  Hungary  took  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  and  embarked  in  the  mad  expeditions  of 
the  Crusaders,  as  did  likewise  fifty  thousand  children 
and  a  crowd  of  priests ;  because,  according  to  the 
Scripture,  “  God  has  made  children  the  instruments 
of  his  glory.”* — Cleopatra,  daughter  of  Ptolemy 
Philometer,  in  order  to  gratify  her  restless  ambition 
of  reigning  alone  and  uncontrolled  in  her  dominions, 
killed  her  son  Seleucus  with  her  own  hand,  by  plung¬ 
ing  a  dagger  into  his  breast.  She  had  been  the  wife 
of  three  kings  of  Syria,  and  the  mother  of  four,  and 
had  occasioned  the  death  of  two  of  her  husbands. 
She  prepared  a  poisoned  draught  to  destroy  Grypus, 
another  of  her  sons ;  but  her  intention  having  been 
suspected,  she  was  compelled  to  swallow  the  deadly 
potion  she  had  prepared,  which  took  immediate  effect, 
and  delivered  the  world  from  this  female  monster. 
The  Carthaginians  were  in  the  practice  of  offering 
human  sacrifices  to  their  god  Saturn,  when  they  were 
defeated  in  war,  in  order  to  propitiate  the  wrath  of 
this  deity.  At  first,  children  were  inhumanly  burned, 
either  in  a  fiery  furnace  like  those  in  the  valley  of 
Hinnom,  so  frequently  mentioned  in  Scripture,  or  in 
a  flaming  statue  of  Saturn.  The  cries  of  these  un¬ 
happy  victims  were  drowned  by  the  uninterrupted 
noise  of  drums  and  trumpets.  Mothers  made  it  a 
merit,  and  a  part  of  their  religion,  to  view  the  barbar- 


*  Millot’s  Elements. 


430 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ous  spectacle  with  dry  eyes,  and  without  so  much  as 
a  groan ;  and  if  a  tear  or  sigh  stole  from  them,  the 
sacrifice  was  considered  as  less  acceptable  to  the  deity. 
This  savage  disposition  was  carried  to  such  excess, 
that  even  mothers  would  endeavour,  with  embraces 
and  kisses,  to  hush  the  cries  of  their  children  lest  they 
should  anger  the  god.#  When  Carthage  was  taken 
by  the  Romans,  the  wife  of  Asdrubal  the  Cartha¬ 
ginian  genera],  who  had  submitted  to  the  Romans, 
mounted  to  the  upper  part  of  one  of  the  temples 
which  had  been  set  on  fire;  and  placing  herself,  with 
her  two  children,  in  sight  of  her  husband,  uttered  the 
most  bitter  imprecations  against  him  :  <c  Base  coward, 
(said  she,)  the  mean  things  thou  hast  done  to  save 
thy  life  shall  not  avail  thee ;  thou  shalt  die  this  in¬ 
stant,  at  least  in  thy  two  children.”  Having  thus 
spoken,  she  stabbed  both  the  infants  with  a  dagger, 
and,  while  they  were  yet  struggling  for  life,  threw 
them  both  from  the  top  of  the  temple,  and  then 
leaped  down  after  them  into  the  flames.f 

Such  are  only  a  few  insulated  pictures  of  the  atro¬ 
cities  of  war,  and  of  the  unnatural  and  infernal  pas¬ 
sions  which  uniformly  follow  in  its  train,  which  may 
be  considered  as  specimens  of  many  thousands  of 
similar  instances,  which  the  records  of  history  fur¬ 
nish  of  the  malignity  and  depravity  of  mankind.  I 
have  selected  my  examples  chiefly  from  the  history 
of  ancient  warfare:  but  were  wre  to  search  the  an¬ 
nals  of  viodern  warfare,  and  confine  our  attention 
solely  to  the  battles  of  Alexandria,  of  the  Pyramids, 
of  Borodina,  of  Smolensko,  of  Austerlitz,  of  Leipsic, 


*  Rollin’s  Anc.  Hist. 


f  Encyc.  Brit.  Art.  Carthage. 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR.  431 

of  Jena,  of  Eylan,  of  Waterloo,  and  other  warlike 
events,  which  have  happened  within  the  last  thirty 
years,  we  should  meet  with  atrocities  and  scenes  of 
slaughter  no  less  horrible  than  those  which  I  have 
now  related.  I  shall  content  myself  with  stating 
only  two  or  three  instances. 

After  the  taking  of  Alexandria  by  Buonaparte, 
“We  were  under  the  necessity,”  says  the  relator,  “of 
putting  the  whole  of  them  to  death  at  the  breach. 
But  the  slaughter  did  not  cease  with  the  resistance. 
The  Turks  and  inhabitants  fled  to  their  mosques, 
seeking  protection  from  God  and  their  prophet;  and 
then,  men  and  ivomen ,  old  and  young ,  and  infants  at 
the  breast ,  were  slaughtered.  This  butchery  con¬ 
tinued  for  four  hours  ;  after  which  the  remaining  part 
of  the  inhabitants  were  much  astonished  at  not  having 
their  throats  cut.”  Be  it  remembered,  that  all  this 
bloodshed  was  premeditated.  “  We  might  have  spared 
the  men  whom  we  lost,”  says  General  Boyer,  “  by 
only  summoning  the  town;  but  it  was  necessary  to 
begin  by  confounding  our  enemy.”*  After  the  battle 
of  the  Pyramids,  it  is  remarked  by  an  eye-witness, 
that  “the  whole  way  through  the  desert  was  tracked 
with  the  bones  and  bodies  of  men  and  animals,  who 
had  perished  in  these  dreadful  wastes.  In  order 
to  warm  themselves  at  night,  they  gathered  together 
the  dry  bones  and  bodies  of  the  dead,  which  the  vul¬ 
tures  had  spared;  and  it  was  by  a  fire  composed  of 
this  fuel  that  Buonaparte  lay  doicn  to  sleep  in  the 
desert  /”  t  A  more  revolting  and  infernal  scene  it  is 

O 

scarcely  possible  for  the  imagination  to  depict. 


*  Miot’s  Memoirs. 


f  Ibid. 


432 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Miot  gives  the  following  description  in  relation  to 
a  scene  at  Jaffa: — “The  soldier  abandons  himself 
to  all  the  fury  which  an  assault  authorizes.  He 
strikes,  he  slays,  nothing  can  impede  him.  All  the 
horrors  which  accompany  the  capture  of  a  town  by 
storm,  are  repeated  in  every  street,  in  every  house. 
You  hear  the  cries  of  violated  females  calling:  in  vain 
for  help  to  those  relatives  whom  they  are  butchering. 
No  asylum  is  respected.  The  blood  streams  on 
every  side;  at  every  step  you  meet  with  human  be¬ 
ings  groaning  and  expiring,”  &c. — Sir  Robert  Wil¬ 
son,  when  describing  the  campaigns  in  Poland,  re¬ 
lates,  that  “  the  ground  between  the  wood  and  the 
Russian  batteries,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  was  a 
sheet  of  naked  human  bodies,  which  friends  and  foes 
had  during  the  night  mutually  stripped,  not  leaving 
the  worst  rag  upon  them,  although  numbers  of  these 
bodies  still  retained  consciousness  of  their  situation. 
It  was  a  sight  which  the  eye  loathed,  but  from  which 
it  could  not  remove.” 

In  Labaume’s  “  Narrative  of  the  Campaign  in 
Russia,”  we  are  presented  with  the  most  horrible 
details  of  palaces,  churches,  and  streets,  enveloped 
in  flames, — houses  tumbling  into  ruins, — hundreds 
of  blackened  carcases  of  the  wretched  inhabitants, 
whom  the  fire  had  consumed,  blended  with  the  frag¬ 
ments, — hospitals  containing  20,000  wounded  Rus¬ 
sians  on  fire,  and  consuming  the  miserable  victims, 
— numbers  of  half-burned  wretches  crawling  among 
the  smoking  ruins, — females  violated  and  massacred, 
— parents  and  children  half  naked,  shivering  with 
cold,  flying  in  consternation  with  the  wrecks  of  their 
half-consumed  furniture, — horses  falling  in  thou- 


MORAL  REFLECTIONS. 


433 


sands,  and  writhing  in  the  agonies  of  death, — the 
fragments  of  carriages,  muskets,  helmets,  breast¬ 
plates,  portmanteaus,  and  garments  strewed  in  every 
direction, — roads  covered  for  miles  with  thousands 
of  the  dying  and  the  dead  heaped  one  upon  another, 
and  swimming  in  blood, — and  these  dreadful  scenes 
rendered  still  more  horrific  by  the  shrieks  of  young 
females,  of  mothers  and  children,  and  the  piercing 
cries  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying,  invoking  death 
to  put  an  end  to  their  agonies. 

But  I  will  not  dwell  longer  on  such  revolting  de- 
tails.  It  is  probable  that  the  feelings  of  some  of 
my  readers  have  been  harrowed  up  by  the  descrip¬ 
tions  already  given,  and  that  they  have  turned  away 
their  eyes  in  disgust  from  such  spectacles  of  depravity 
and  horror.  Every  mind  susceptible  of  virtuous 
emotions,  and  of  the  common  feelings  of  humanity, 
must,  indeed,  feel  pained  and  even  agonized,  when 
it  reflects  on  the  depravity  of  mankind,  and  on  the 
atrocious  crimes  they  are  capable  of  committing,  and 
have  actually  perpetrated.  A  serious  retrospect  of 
the  moral  state  of  the  world  in  past  ages,  is  calculated 
to  excite  emotions,  similar  to  those  which  over¬ 
powered  the  mourning  prophet  when  he  exclaimed, 
“  O  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a 
fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night, 
for  the  slain  of  the  daughters  of  my  people  !”  But 
however  painful  the  sight,  we  ought  not  to  turn 
away  our  eyes,  with  fastidious  affectation,  from  the 
spectacles  of  misery  and  devastation  which  the  au¬ 
thentic  records  of  history  present  before  us.  They 
form  traits  in  the  character  of  man  which  ought  to 
be  contemplated, — they  arc  facts  in  the  history  of 

D.  2.  T 


434 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


mankind,  and  not  the  mere  pictures  of  fancy  which 
are  exhibited  in  poetry,  novels,  and  romances, — Tacts 
which  forcibly  exemplify  the  operation  of  the  male¬ 
volent  principle,  and  from  which  we  ought  to  deduce 
important  instructions,  in  reference  to  the  evil  of  sin, 
and  the  malignancy  of  pride,  covetousness,  ambition, 
and  revenge.  We  think  nothing,  in  the  common 
intercourse  of  life,  of  indulging  a  selfish  disposition, 
of  feeling  proud  and  indignant  at  a  real  or  supposed 
affront,  of  looking  with  a  covetous  eye  at  the  posses¬ 
sions  of  our  neighbours,  of  viewing  the  success  and 
prosperity  of  our  rivals  with  discontentment  and 
jealousy,  or  of  feeling  a  secret  satisfaction  at  the  dis¬ 
tress  or  humiliation  of  our  enemies ;  and  we  seldom 
reflect  on  the  malignant  effects  which  such  passions 
would  produce,  were  they  suffered  to  rage  without 
control.  But,  in  the  scenes  of  warfare  which  have 
been  realized  on  the  great  theatre  of  the  world,  we 
contemplate  the  nature  and  effects  of  such  malignant 
dispositions  in  their  true  light ;  we  perceive  the  ulti¬ 
mate  tendency  of  every  malevolent  affection,  when  no 
physical  obstruction  impedes  its  progress  ;  we  discern 
that  it  is  only  the  same  dispositions  which  we  daily 
indulge,  operating  on  a  more  extensive  scale  ;  and 
we  learn  the  necessity  of  mortifying  such  disposi¬ 
tions,  and  counteracting  their  influence,  if  we  expect 
to  enjoy  substantial  felicity  either  here  or  hereafter, 
and  if  we  wish  to  see  the  world  restored  to  happiness 
and  repose. 

I  shall  only  observe  farther,  that,  besides  the 
atrocities  already  noticed,  war  has  been  the  nurse  of 
every  vicious  disposition,  and  of  every  immoral  prac¬ 
tice.  The  Carthaginians,  who  were  almost  inces- 


IMMORALITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR.  435 

santly  engaged  in  war,  were  knavish,  vicious,  cruel, 
and  superstitious  ;  distinguished  for  craft  and  cun¬ 
ning,  lying  and  hypocrisy,  for  the  basest  frauds  and 
the  most  perfidious  actions.  The  Goths  and  Van¬ 
dals  are  uniformly  characterized,  as  not  only  barbar¬ 
ous  and  cruel,  but  avaricious,  perfidious,  and  disre¬ 
gardful  of  the  most  solemn  promises.  It  was  ever  a 
sufficient  reason  for  them  to  make  an  attack,  that 
they  thought  their  enemies  could  not  resist  them. 
Their  only  reason  for  making  peace,  or  for  keeping 
it,  was  because  their  enemies  were  too  strong;  and 
their  only  reason  for  committing  massacres,  rapes, 
and  all  manner  of  crimes,  was  because  they  had 
gained  a  victory.  The  Greeks  and  Romans,  it  is 
well  known,  notwithstanding  their  superior  civiliza¬ 
tion,  were  distinguished  for  the  most  degrading  and 
immoral  practices.  They  gloried  in  being  proud, 
haughty,  and  revengeful ;  and  even  their  amusements 
were  characterized  by  a  spirit  of  ferocity,  and  by  the 
barbarisms  of  war. — It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that 
war  blunts  the  finer  feelings  of  humanity,  and  en¬ 
genders  a  spirit  of  selfishness,  and  of  indifference 
even  towards  friends  and  companions.  Of  this  many 
shocking  instances  could  be  given. 

Miot,  in  his  “  Memoirs  of  the  War  in  Egypt,” 
relates  the  case  of  a  soldier  who  was  seized  with  the 
plague,  and  with  the  delirium  which  sometimes  ac¬ 
companies  the  disease.  He  took  up  his  knapsack, 
upon  which  his  head  was  resting,  and,  placing  it 
upon  his  shoulders,  made  an  effort  to  rise,  and  to  fol¬ 
low  the  army.  The  venom  of  the  dreadful  malady 
deprived  him  of  strength,  and  after  three  steps  he  fell 
again  upon  the  sand,  headlong.  The  fall  increased 

T  2 


436 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


his  terror  of  being  left  by  the  regiment,  and  he  rose 
a  second  time,  but  with  no  better  fortune.  In  his 
third  effort  he  sunk,  and,  falling  near  the  sea,  re¬ 
mained  upon  that  spot  which  fate  had  destined  for 
his  grave.  The  sight  of  this  soldier  was  frightful : 
the  disorder  which  reigned  in  his  senseless  speech — 
his  figure,  which  represented  whatever  is  mournful — 
his  eyes  staring  and  fixed — his  clothes  in  rags — 
presented  whatever  is  most  hideous  in  death.  The 
reader  may  perhaps  believe  that  his  comrades  would 
be  concerned  for  him ;  that  they  would  stop  to  help 
him,  that  they  would  hasten  to  support  him,  and 
direct  his  tottering  steps.  Far  from  it :  the  poor 
wretch  was  only  an  object  of  horror  and  derision. 
They  ran  from  him,  and  they  burst  into  loud  laughter 
at  his  motions,  which  resembled  those  of  a  drunken 
man.  “  He  has  got  his  account,”  cried  one  :  “  He 
will  not  march  far,”  said  another :  and,  when  the 
wretch  fell  for  the  last  time,  some  of  them  added, 
u  See,  he  has  taken  up  his  quarters  !”  This  terrible 
truth,  says  the  narrator,  which  I  cannot  help  repeat¬ 
ing,  must  be  acknowledged — Indifference  and  selfish¬ 
ness  are  the  predominant  feelings  of  an  army. 

Rocca,  in  his  <c  Memoirs  of  the  War  in  Spain,” 
remarks,  “  The  habit  of  danger  made  us  look  upon 
death  as  one  of  the  most  ordinary  circumstances  of 
life ;  when  our  comrades  had  once  ceased  to  live,  the 
indifference  which  was  shown  them  amounted  almost 
to  irony.  When  the  soldiers,  as  they  passed  by, 
recognised  one  of  their  companions  stretched  among 
the  dead,  they  just  said,  c  Me  is  in  want  of  nothing, 
lie  will  not  have  his  horse  to  abuse  again,  he  has  got 
drunk  for  the  last  time,’  or  something  similar,  which 


IMMORALITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR.  437 


only  worked,  in  the  speaker,  a  stoical  contempt  of 
existence.  Such  were  the  funeral  orations  pro¬ 
nounced  in  honour  of  those  who  fell  in  our  battles.” 
— Simpson,  in  his  “Visit  to  Flanders,”  in  1815, 
remarks,  “  Nothing  is  more  frightful  than  the  want 
of  feeling  which  characterizes  the  French  soldiery. 
Their  prisoners  who  were  lying  wounded  in  the  hos¬ 
pitals  of  Antwerp,  were  often  seen  mimicking  the 
contortions  of  countenance  which  were  produced  by 
the  agonies  of  death,  in  one  of  their  own  comrades 
in  the  next  bed.  There  is  no  curse  to  be  compared 
with  the  power  of  fiends  like  these.” 

Thus,  it  appears,  that  wars  have  prevailed  in  every 
period  during  the  ages  that  are  past,  and  have  al¬ 
most  extirpated  the  principle  of  benevolence  from  the 
world ;  and  therefore  it  is  obvious,  that,  before  the 
prevailing  propensity  to  warfare  be  counteracted  and 
destroyed,  the  happiness  which  flows  from  the  opera¬ 
tion  of  the  benevolent  affections  cannot  he  enjoyed 
by  mankind  at  large.  To  counteract  this  irrational 
and  most  deplorable  propensity,  by  every  energetic 
mean  which  reason,  humanity,  and  Christianity  can 
suggest,  must  be  the  duty  of  every  one  who  is  de¬ 
sirous  to  promote  the  present  and  everlasting  happi¬ 
ness  of  his  species.* 


*  The  Author  intended,  had  his  limits  permitted,  to  state  some 
additional  considerations  to  show  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  war. 
In  the  meantime,  he  refers  his  readers  to  “  Letters  addressed  to 
Caleb  Strong,  Esq.”  which  contain  a  series  of  energetic  and  im¬ 
pressive  reasonings  on  the  subject.  “  Pictures  of  War,”  by 
Irenicus;  and  a  duodecimo  volume,  lately  published,  entitled, 
“  An  Inquiry  into  the  accordancy  of  War  with  the  principles  of 
Christianity,”  &c. 


438 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  II. 

Moral  State  of  Savage  Nations  in  Modern  times. 

I  shall  now  take  a  very  brief  survey  of  the  state 
of  morals  in  modern  times,  and  of  the  prevailing  dis¬ 
positions  which  are  displayed  by  the  existing  in¬ 
habitants  of  our  globe.  Were  I  to  enter  into  those 
minute  and  circumstantial  details  which  the  illustra¬ 
tion  of  this  subject  would  require,  several  volumes 
would  be  filled  with  the  detail  of  facts,  and  with  the 
sketches  of  moral  scenery  which  might  be  exhibited. 
And  such  a  work,  if  judiciously  executed,  might  be 
rendered  highly  interesting,  and  might  produce  a 
variety  of  benignant  effects  both  on  Christian  and  on 
general  society.  But  the  narrow  limits  within  which 
the  present  work  must  be  comprised,  compel  me  to 
confine  my  attention  to  a  few  prominent  features  in 
the  characters  of  mankind,  and  to  a  few  insulated 
facts  by  which  they  may  be  illustrated. — I  shall  con¬ 
sider,  in  the  first  place,  some  of  the 

Prominent  dispositions  which  appear  among  Savag< 
and  half- civilized  nations. 

It  is  not  to  be  disputed,  that  numerous  individuals 
among  the  uncivilized  tribes  of  mankind,  have  occa¬ 
sionally  displayed  the  exercise  of  many  of  the  social 
virtues, — that  they  have  been  brave  and  magnani¬ 
mous,  faithful  to  their  promises,  strong  in  their 
attachments,  and  generous  and  affectionate  to  their 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS. 


439 


friends  and  relatives.  But  their  virtues,  for  the  most 
part,  proceed  from  a  principle  of  selfishness,  and  are 
confined  to  the  clan  or  tribe  to  which  they  belong. 
Towards  their  enemies,  and  towards  all  who  have 
injured  them  in  the  slightest  degree,  they  almost 
uniformly  display  cruel,  perfidious,  and  revengeful 
dispositions.  The  following  facts  and  descriptions, 
selected  from  the  authentic  records  of  voyagers  and 
travellers,  will  tend  to  corroborate  these  positions. 

The  most  prominent  feature  which  appears  in  the 
character  of  savage  nations,  is,  their  disposition  for 
war,  and  to  inflict  revenge  for  real  or  supposed  in¬ 
juries.  With  respect  to  the  North  American 
Indians,  it  is  the  uniform  description  given  of  them 
by  all  travellers,  that,  if  we  except  hunting,  war  is 
the  only  employment  of  the  men,  and  every  other 
concern  is  left  to  the  women.  Their  most  common 
motive  for  entering  into  war,  is,  either  to  revenge 
themselves  for  the  death  of  some  lost  friends,  or  to 
acquire  prisoners,  who  may  assist  them  in  their  hunt¬ 
ing,  and  whom  they  adopt  into  their  society.  In 
these  wars,  they  are  cruel  and  savage,  to  an  incredi¬ 
ble  degree.  They  enter,  unawares,  the  villages  of 
their  foes,  and,  while  the  flower  of  the  nation  are  en¬ 
gaged  in  hunting,  massacre  all  the  children,  women, 
and  helpless  old  men,  or  make  prisoners  of  as  many 
as  they  can  manage.  But  when  the  enemy  is  ap¬ 
prised  of  their  design,  and  coming  on  in  arms  against 
them,  they  throw  themselves  flat  on  the  ground, 
among  the  withered  herbs  and  leaves,  which  their 
faces  are  painted  to  resemble.  They  then  allow  a 
part  to  pass  unmolested  ;  when,  all  at  once,  with  a 
tremendous  shout,  rising  up  from  their  ambush,  they 


440 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


pour  a  storm  of  musket-bullets  on  their  foes.  If 
the  force  on  each  side  continues  nearly  equal,  the 
fierce  spirits  of  these  savages,  inflamed  by  the  loss  of 
friends,  can  no  longer  be  restrained.  They  abandon 
their  distant  war,  they  rush  upon  one  another  with 
clubs  and  hatchets,  magnifying  their  own  courage, 
and  insulting  their  enemies.  A  cruel  combat  en¬ 
sues  ;  death  appears  in  a  thousand  hideous  forms, 
which  would  conceal  the  blood  of  civilized  nations  to 

o 

behold,  but  which  rouse  the  fury  of  these  savages. 
They  trample,  they  insult  over  the  dead  bodies, 
tearing  the  scalp  from  the  head,  wallowing  in  their 
blood  like  wild  beasts,  and  sometimes  devouring  their 
flesh.  The  flame  rages  on  till  it  meets  with  no  re¬ 
sistance;  then  the  prisoners  are  secured,  whose  fate 
is  a  thousand  times  more  dreadful  than  theirs  who 
have  died  in  the  field.  The  conquerors  set  up  a 
hideous  howling,  to  lament  the  friends  they  have 
lost.  They  approach  their  own  village;  the  women, 
with  frightful  shrieks,  come  out  to  mourn  their  dead 
brothers,  or  their  husbands.  An  Orator  proclaims 
aloud  a  circumstantial  account  of  every  particular  of 
the  expedition;  and  as  he  mentions  the  names  of 
those  who  have  fallen,  the  shrieks  of  the  women  are 
redoubled.  The  last  ceremony  is,  the  proclamation 
of  victory :  each  individual  then  forgets  his  private 
misfortunes,  and  joins  in  the  triumph  of  his  nation  ; 
all  tears  are  wiped  from  their  eyes,  and,  by  an  un¬ 
accountable  transition,  they  pass  in  a  moment  from 
the  bitterness  of  sorrow,  to  an  extravagance  of  joy.* 
As  they  feel  nothing  but  revenge  for  the  enemies 


* 


See  Encyc.  Brit.  Art.  America . 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  441 

of  their  nation,  their  prisoners  are  treated  with  cruelty 
in  the  extreme.  The  cruelties  inflicted  on  those 
prisoners  who  are  doomed  to  death,  are  too  shocking 
and  horrible  to  be  exhibited  in  detail.  One  plucks 
out  the  nails  of  the  prisoner  by  the  roots ;  another 
takes  a  finger  into  his  mouth,  and  tears  off  the  flesh 
with  his  teeth  ;  a  third  thrusts  the  finger,  mangled 
as  it  is,  into  the  bowl  of  a  pipe  made  red  hot,  which 
he  smokes  like  tobacco  :  they  then  pound  his  toes 
and  fingers  to  pieces  between  two  stones;  they  apply 
red  hot  irons  to  every  part  of  his  mangled  body ; 
they  pull  off  his  flesh,  thus  mangled  and  roasted,  and 
devour  it  with  greediness ; — and  thus  they  continue 
for  several  hours,  and  sometimes  for  a  whole  day, 
till  they  penetrate  to  the  vital  parts,  and  completely 
exhaust  the  springs  of  life.  Even  the  women,  for¬ 
getting  the  human,  as  well  as  the  female  nature,  and 
transformed  into  something  worse  than  furies,  fre¬ 
quently  outdo  the  men  in  this  scene  of  horror ;  while 
the  principal  persons  of  the  country  sit  round  the 
stake  to  which  the  prisoner  is  fixed,  smoking,  and 
looking  on  without  the  least  emotion.  What  is 
most  remarkable,  the  prisoner  himself  endeavours  to 
brave  his  torments  with  a  stoical  apathy.  “  I  do 
not  fear  death,  (he  exclaims  in  the  face  of  his  tor¬ 
mentors,)  nor  any  kind  of  tortures  ;  those  that  fear 
them  are  cowards,  they  are  less  than  women.  May 
my  enemies  be  confounded  with  despair  and  rage  ! 
Oh,  that  I  could  devour  them,  and  drink  their  blood 
to  the  last  drop  !” 

Such  is  a  faint  picture  of  the  ferocious  dispositions 
of  the  Indians  of  America,  which,  with  a  few  slight 
modifications,  will  apply  to  almost  the  whole  of  the 

t  3 


442 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


original  natives  of  that  vast  continent.  Instead  of 
the  exercise  of  benevolent  affections,  and  of  forgiving 
dispositions;  instead  of  humane  feelings,  and  com¬ 
passion  for  the  sufferings  of  fellow-mortals,  we  here 
behold  them  transported  into  an  extravagance  of  joy , 
over  the  sufferings  they  had  produced,  the  carnage 
they  had  created,  the  children  whom  they  had  de¬ 
prived  of  their  parents,  and  the  widows  whose  hus¬ 
bands  they  had  mangled  and  slain ;  because  they  had 
glutted  their  revenge,  and  obtained  a  victory.  No¬ 
thing  can  appear  more  directly  opposed  to  the  pre¬ 
cepts  of  Christ,  and  to  the  benevolence  of  heaven. 

If,  from  America,  we  cross  the  Atlantic,  and  land 
on  the  shores  of  Africa,  we  shall  find  the  existing 
inhabitants  of  that  continent  displaying  dispositions 
no  less  cruel  and  ferocious. — Bosman  relates  the 
following  instances  of  cruelties  practised  by  the  Ado- 
mese  Negroes,  inhabiting  the  banks  of  the  Praa,  or 
Chamah  river. 

“  Anqua,  the  king,  having  in  an  engagement 
taken  five  of  his  principal  Antese  enemies  prisoners, 
he  wounded  them  all  over;  after  which,  with  a  more 
than  brutal  fury,  he  satiated,  though  not  tired  him¬ 
self,  by  sucking  their  blood  at  their  gaping  wounds ; 
but  bearing  a  more  than  ordinary  grudge  against 
one  of  them  he  caused  him  to  be  laid  bound  at  his 
feet,  and  his  body  to  be  pierced  with  hot  irons,  gath¬ 
ering  his  blood  that  issued  from  him  in  a  vessel,  one 
half  of  which  he  drank,  and  offered  up  the  rest  to  his 
god.  On  another  occasion,  he  put  to  death  one  of 
his  wives  and  a  slave,  drinking  their  blood  also,  as 
was  his  usual  practice  with  his  enemies.”* — Disposi- 


Dupuis’  Journal  in  Asliantee. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  443 

tions  and  practices  no  less  abominable,  are  regularly 
exhibited  in  the  kingdom  of  Dahomy,  near  the  Gulf 
of  Guinea.  An  immolation  of  human  victims,  for  the 
purpose  of  watering  the  graves  of  the  king’s  ancestors, 
and  of  supplying  them  with  servants  of  various  de¬ 
scriptions  in  the  other  world,  takes  place  every  year, 
at  a  grand  festival,  which  is  held  generally  in  April 
and  May,  about  the  period  when  the  Bible  and  Mis¬ 
sionary  Societies  of  this  country  are  holding  their 
anniversaries.  The  victims  are  generally  prisoners  of 
war,  reserved  for  the  purpose  ;  but  should  there  be 
lack  of  these,  the  number  (betwixt  sixty  and  seventy) 
is  made  up  from  the  most  convenient  of  his  own  sub¬ 
jects.  The  immolation  of  victims  is  not  confined  to 
this  particular  period ;  for  at  any  time,  should  it  be 
necessary  to  send  an  account  to  his  forefathers  of  any 
remarkable  event,  the  king  despatches  a  courier  to 
the  shades,  by  delivering  a  message  to  whoever  may 
happen  to  be  near  him,  and  then  ordering  his  head 
to  be  chopped  off  immediately.  It  is  considered  an 
honour  where  his  majesty  personally  condescends  to 
become  the  executioner  in  these  cases :  an  office  in 
which  the  king  prides  himself  in  being  expert.  The 
governor  was  present  on  one  occasion,  when  a  poor 
fellow,  whose  fear  of  death  outweighing  the  sense  of 
the  honour  conferred  on  him,  on  being  desired  to 
carry  some  message  to  his  father,  humbly  declared 
on  his  knees,  that  he  was  unacquainted  with  the  way. 
On  which  the  tyrant  vociferated,  “  I’ll  show  you  the 
way,”  and  with  one  blow  made  his  head  fly  many  yards 
from  his  body,  highly  indignant  that  there  should 
have  been  the  least  expression  of  reluctance.*  On 


*  M‘Leod’s  Voyage  to  Africa. 


444. 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  thatched  roofs  of  the  guard-houses  which  sur¬ 
round  the  palace  of  this  tyrant,  are  ranged,  on  wooden 
stakes,  numbers  of  human  skulls ;  the  top  of  the  wall, 
which  encloses  an  area  before  it,  is  stuck  full  of 
human  jaw-bones,  and  the  path  leading  to  the  door 
is  paved  with  the  skulls. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Ashantee ,  similar  practices  uni¬ 
formly  prevail.  “  When  the  king  of  this  country 
(says  Dupuis)  was  about  to  open  the  campaign  in 
Gaman,  he  collected  together  his  priests,  to  invoke 
the  royal  Fetische ,  and  perform  the  necessary  orgies 
to  ensure  success.  These  ministers  of  superstition 
sacrificed  thirty-two  male,  and  eighteen  female  vic¬ 
tims,  as  an  expiatory  offering  to  the  gods  ;  but  the 
answers  from  the  priests  being  deemed  by  the  council 
as  still  devoid  of  inspiration,  the  king  was  induced  to 
make  a  custom ,  at  the  sepulchres  of  his  ancestors, 
where  many  hundreds  bled.  This,  it  is  affirmed, 
propitiated  the  wrath  of  the  adverse  god.”  The 
same  king,  when  he  returned,  having  discovered  a 
conspiracy,  decreed,  that  seventeen  of  his  wives, 
along  with  his  own  sister,  should  be  strangled  and 
beheaded.  (i  His  sister’s  paramour,  and  all  those  of 
his  party,  were  doomed  to  the  most  cruel  deaths,  at 
the  grave  of  the  king’s  mother.  While  these 
butcheries  were  transacting,  the  king  prepared  to 
enter  the  palace;  and,  in  the  act  of  crossing  the 
threshold  of  the  outer  gate,  was  met  by  several  of 
his  wives,  whose  anxiety  to  embrace  their  sovereign 
lord  impelled  them  thus  to  overstep  the  boundary  of 
female  decorum  in  Ashantee  ;  for  it  happened  that 
the  king  was  accompanied  by  a  number  of  his  captains, 
who,  accordingly,  were  compelled  to  cover  their 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  445 

faces  with  both  their  hands,  and  fly  from  the  spot. 
This  is  said  to  have  angered  the  monarch,  al¬ 
though  his  resentment  proceeded  no  farther  than 
words,  and  he  returned  the  embraces  of  his  wives. 
But  another  cause  of  anger  soon  after  occurred, 
and  he  was  inflamed  to  the  highest  pitch  of  indig¬ 
nation,  and,  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage,  caused  these 
unhappy  beings  to  be  cut  in  pieces  before  his  face, 
giving  orders  at  the  same  time  to  cast  the  frag- 

C5  O  O 

ments  into  the  forest  to  be  devoured  by  beasts  of 
prey.  Nor  did  the  atonement  rest  here;  for  six 
more  unhappy  females  were  impeached  of  inconstancy, 
and  they  also  expiated  their  faults  with  their  lives. 
Like  another  Ulysses,  his  majesty  then  devoted  him¬ 
self  to  the  purification  of  his  palace  ;  when,  to  sum 
up  the  full  horrors  of  these  bloody  deeds,  two  thou¬ 
sand  wretches,  selected  from  the  Gaman  prisoners 
of  war,  were  slaughtered  over  the  royal  death-stool, 
in  honour  of  the  shades  of  departed  kings  and 
heroes.”* 

Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  ferocious  dispo¬ 
sitions  of  the  petty  tyrants  of  Africa.  But  we  are 
not  to  imagine,  that  such  dispositions  are  confined  to 
kings,  and  to  the  higher  ranks  of  society.  Wher¬ 
ever  such  malevolent  passions  are  displayed  among 
barbarous  chieftains,  they  pervade,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  the  whole  mass  of  the  people  ;  and  almost 
every  one,  in  proportion  to  the  power  with  which  he 
is  invested,  perpetrates  similar  barbarities.  The 
following  instance  will  corroborate  this  position,  and 
at  the  same  time  show,  for  how  many  cruelties  and 


*  Dupuis’  Mission  to  Ashantee,  in  1823. 


446 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


acts  of  injustice  the  abettors  of  the  infamous  traffic 
in  slaves  are  accountable.  It  is  extracted  from  Major 
Gray’s  “Travels  in  Africa,  in  1824.” 

The  Kaartan  force  which  the  Major  accompanied, 
had  made  107  prisoners,  chiefly  women  and  children, 
in  a  predatory  excursion  into  Bondoo,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  supplying  themselves  with  slaves.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  is  an  account  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  dragged  along.  “  The  men  were  tied  in  pairs 
by  the  necks,  their  hands  secured  behind  their  backs  ; 
the  women  by  the  necks  only;  but  their  hands  were 
not  left  free  from  any  sense  of  feeling  for  them,  but 
in  order  to  enable  them  to  balance  the  immense  loads 
of  corn  or  rice  which  they  were  obliged  to  carry  on 
their  heads,  and  their  children  on  their  backs.” — 
“  I  had  an  opportunity,”  says  Major  Gray,  “  of 
witnessing,  during  this  short  march,  the  new-made 
slaves,  and  the  sufferings  to  which  they  are  subjected 
in  their  first  state  of  bondage.  They  were  hurried 
along  ( tied )  at  a  pace  little  short  of  running,  to  en¬ 
able  them  to  keep  up  with  the  horsemen,  who  drove 
them  on  as  Smithfield  drovers  do  fatigued  bullocks. 
Many  of  the  women  were  old,  and  by  no  means  able 
to  endure  such  treatment.  One  in  particular  would 
not  have  failed  to  excite  the  tenderest  feelings  of 

O 

compassion  in  the  breast  of  any  save  a  savage  African. 
She  was  at  least  sixty  years  old,  in  the  most  miser¬ 
able  state  of  emaciation  and  debility,  nearly  doubled 
together,  and  with  difficulty  dragging  her  tottering 
limbs  along.  To  crown  the  heart-rending  picture, 
she  was  naked,  save  from  her  waist  to  about  half 
way  to  the  knees.  All  this  did  not  prevent  her  in¬ 
human  captors  from  making  her  carry  a  heavy  load 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS. 


447 


of  water,  while,  with  a  rope  about  her  neck,  he  drove 
her  before  his  horse  ;  and  whenever  she  showed  the 
least  inclination  to  stop,  he  beat  her  in  the  most  un¬ 
merciful  manner  with  a  stick.” 

Were  we  to  travel  through  the  whole  interior  of 
Africa,  and  round  its  northern,  eastern,  and  western 
coasts,  we  should  find,  among  almost  every  tribe, 
numerous  displays  of  the  same  inhuman  and  depraved 
dispositions.  The  Algerines  are  characterized  as  the 
most  cruel  and  dangerous  pirates — base,  perfidious, 
and  rapacious,  to  the  last  degree.  No  oaths  nor 
ties,  human  or  divine,  will  avail  to  bind  them  when 
their  interest  interferes.  Whatever  respect  they 
may  pretend  to  pay  to  their  prophet  Mahomet,  gold 
is  the  only  true  idol  which  they  worship.  The  em¬ 
perors  of  Morocco  are  well  known  as  a  set  of  rapa¬ 
cious  and  blood-thirsty  tyrants,  who  have  lived  in  a 
state  of  habitual  warfare  with  Christian  nations,  and 
in  the  perpetration  of  deeds  of  injustice  and  cruelty. 
The  Gallas,  on  the  borders  of  Abyssinia,  are  a  bar¬ 
barous  and  warlike  nation.  They  arc  hardy,  and  of 
a  ferocious  disposition  ;  they  are  trained  to  the  love 
of  desperate  achievements,  taught  to  believe  that 
conquest  entitles  them  to  the  possession  of  whatever 
they  desire,  and  to  look  upon  death  with  the  utmost 
contempt ;  and,  therefore,  in  their  wars  they  fight 
with  the  most  desperate  resolution,  and  neither  give 
nor  take  any  quarter.  The  inhabitants  of  Adi 7, 
too,  are  of  a  warlike  disposition,  and  most  frequently 
live  in  enmity  and  hostility  with  those  around  them. 
The  Feloops  are  gloomy  and  unforgiving  in  their 
tempers,  thirsting  for  vengeance  even  in  the  hour  of 
dissolution,  and  leaving  their  children  to  avenge  their 


448 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


quarrels.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Grain  Coast,  es¬ 
pecially  the  Mulattoes,  are  said  to  be  a  most  aban¬ 
doned  set  of  people.  The  men  are  drunkards,  lewd, 
thievish,  and  treacherous,  and  the  women  are  the 
most  abandoned  prostitutes,  sacrificing  themselves  at 
all  times,  and  to  all  sorts  of  men,  without  the  least 
degree  of  restraint.*  The  natives  of  Ansico,  which 
borders  on  Angola,  live  by  plundering  all  who  hap¬ 
pen  to  fall  in  their  way,  some  of  whom  they  kill,  and 
others  they  keep  as  slaves,  t  “  The  Bosliemen  are 
land  pirates,  who  live  without  laws  and  without  dis¬ 
cipline  ;  who  lurk  in  thickets,  to  watch  the  passage 
of  travellers,  and  shoot  them  with  poisoned  arrows, 
in  order  to  seize  their  cattle. <s  The  negroes  of 
Congo,  (says  M.  de  la  Brosse,  in  his  Travels  along 
the  coast  of  Angola,  in  1788,)  are  extremely  trea¬ 
cherous  and  vindictive.  They  daily  demanded  of 
us  some  brandy  for  the  use  of  the  king  and  the  chief 
men  of  the  town.  One  day  this  request  was  denied, 
and  we  had  soon  reason  to  repent  it ;  for  all  the 
English  and  Frefich  officers  having  gone  to  fish  on  a 
small  lake  near  the  sea-coast,  they  erected  a  tent  for 
the  purpose  of  dressing  and  eating  the  fishes  they 
had  caught.  When  amusing  themselves  after  their 
repast,  seven  or  eight  negroes,  who  were  the  chiefs 
of  Loango,  arrived  in  sedans,  and  presented  their 
hands,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country. 
These  negroes  privately  rubbed  the  hands  of  the 
officers  with  a  subtile  poison,  which  acts  instantane¬ 
ously  ;  and,  accordingly,  five  captains  and  three  sur¬ 
geons  died  on  the  spot.” 


41 


Cooke’s  Universal  Geography,  vol.  i.  p.  447.  f  Ibid. 
J  Vaillant’s  Travels. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  449 


The  Moors  are  characterized  by  Mr.  Park  as 
having  cruelty  and  low  cunning  pictured  on  their 
countenances.  Their  treachery  and  malevolence  are 
manifested  in  their  plundering  excursions  against  the 
negro  villages.  Without  the  smallest  provocation, 
and  sometimes  under  the  fairest  professions  of  friend¬ 
ship,  they  will  seize  upon  the  negroes’  cattle,  and 
even  on  the  inhabitants  themselves.  The  Bedouins 
are  plunderers  of  the  cultivated  lands,  and  robbers 
on  the  high  roads ;  they  watch  every  opportunity  of 
revenging  their  enemies,  and  their  animosities  are 
transmitted  as  an  inheritance  from  father  to  children. 
Even  the  Egyptians,  who  are  more  civilized  than 
the  tribes  to  which  I  have  now  alluded,  are  charac¬ 
terized  by  excessive  pride,  vindictive  tempers,  inor¬ 
dinate  passions,  and  various  species  of  moral  turpi¬ 
tude.  There  is  a  trait  in  the  character  of  the  wo¬ 
men  of  this  country,  pointedly  adverted  to  by  Sonini, 
in  his  “  Travels  in  Egypt,”  which  is  peculiarly 
odious  and  horrible.  On  discovering  any  partiality 
in  their  husbands  for  other  females,  they  are  trans¬ 
ported  into  an  unbounded  and  jealous  fury.  Such 
are  their  deceit  and  cruelty  on  these  occasions,  that 
they  instil  into  the  blood  of  the  faithless  husband 
a  slow  and  mortal  poison.  Their  revenge  is  medi¬ 
tated  in  silence,  and  they  indulge  the  diabolical  sa¬ 
tisfaction  of  taking  off  an  unhappy  being  by  linger¬ 
ing  death.  It  is  said,  with  confidence,  that  their 
own  persons  supply  the  means  of  perpetrating  their 
malicious  designs  on  their  husbands,  and  that  they 
mix  with  their  aliments  a  certain  portion  of  an  ingre¬ 
dient  of  a  poisonous  nature,  which  infallibly  induces 
a  slow  languor  and  consumption,  and  in  time  brings 
the  wretched  victims  to  the  grave.  The  symptoms 


450 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


are  dreadful.  The  body  desiccates,  the  limbs  be¬ 
come  excessively  weak,  the  gums  rot,  the  teeth 
loosen,  the  hair  falls  olf,  and,  at  length,  after  having 
dragged  a  miserable  existence,  for  a  whole  year  or 
more,  the  unhappy  beings  die  in  extreme  torment. 

If  we  pass  from  Africa  to  the  regions  of  Asia,  we 
shall  find  similar  depraved  principles  and  practices 
pervading  its  several  tribes,  and  the  various  ranks  of 
its  population.  Here  tyranny,  in  all  its  degrading 
and  cruel  forms,  reigns  supreme  over  a  superstitious, 
a  deluded,  and  an  idolatrous  race  of  mankind, — of 
which  the  following  recent  instance,  in  relation  to  a 
petty  despot  of  Persia  may  serve  as  a  specimen. 
<£  The  governor,  Zulfecar  Khun,  is  pronounced  to  be 
a  cruel  and  unprincipled  tyrant ;  unfortunately  for 
the  people,  he  has  the  ear  of  the  sovereign,  and  they 
have  no  resource  against  his  rapacity.  He  pays  to 
the  crown  7000  tomauns  a-year,  but  it  is  asserted 
that  he  collects  from  the  district  100,000.  His  op¬ 
pression  was  so  grievous,  that  the  inhabitants,  wearied 
out,  went  in  a  body  to  the  king  to  complain  ;  but  his 
majesty  only  referred  them  back  to  their  tyrant,  who, 
exasperated  at  their  boldness,  wreaked  upon  them 
a  cruel  vengeance.  It  is  said,  that  he  maimed  and 
put  to  death  upwards  of  a  thousand  of  both  sexes, 
cutting  off  the  hands,  putting  out  the  eyes,  and 
otherwise  mutilating  the  men,  and  cutting  olf  the 
noses,  ears,  and  breasts  of  the  women.  The  people, 
desponding  and  broken-hearted  after  this,  paid,  in  as 
far  as  they  were  able,  the  rapacious  demands  of  their 
oppressor,  and  the  natural  consequence,  ruin  and  de¬ 
solation,  has  ensued.”  # 


*  Frazer’s  Journey  to  Khorasan,  1823. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  451 


Sir  John  Chardin  gives  us  the  following  account 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Mingrelia,  particularly  of  the 
women.  “  The  people  are  generally  handsome,  the 
men  strong  and  well-made,  and  the  women  very 
beautiful;  but  both  sexes  are  very  vicious  and  de¬ 
bauched.  The  women  though  lively,  civil,  and 
affectionate,  are  very  perfidious ;  for  there  is  no 
wickedness  which  they  will  not  perpetrate,  in  order 
to  procure,  preserve,  or  to  get  rid  of  their  gallants. 
The  men  likewise  possess  many  bad  qualities.  All 
of  them  are  trained  to  robbery,  which  they  study 
both  as  a  business  and  as  an  amusement.  With 
great  satisfaction  they  relate  the  depredations  they 
have  committed  ;  and  from  this  polluted  source  they 
derive  their  greatest  praise  and  honour.  In  Min¬ 
grelia,  falsehood,  assassination,  and  theft,  are  good 
actions ;  and  whoredom,  bigamy,  and  incest,  are  es¬ 
teemed  as  virtuous  habits.  The  men  marry  two  or 
three  wives  at  a  time,  and  keep  as  many  concubines 
as  they  choose.  They  not  only  make  a  common 
practice  of  selling  their  children,  either  for  gold,  or 
in  exchange  for  wares  and  provision,  but  even  mur¬ 
der  them,  or  bury  them  alive,  when  they  find  it  diffi¬ 
cult  to  bring  them  up.” 

The  Tartars ,  who  occupy  vast  regions  of  the 
Asiatic  continent,  are  uniformly  described  by  travel¬ 
lers,  as  a  rude,  plundering,  and  uncultivated  race  of 
men.  “  There  is  something  frightful,”  says  Smel- 
lie,  “in  the  countenances  of  the  Calmuck  Tartars. 
All  of  them  are  wandering  vagabonds,  and  live  in 
tents  make  of  cloth  or  of  skins.  They  eat  the  flesh 
of  horses,  either  raw,  or  a  little  softened  by  putrify- 
ing  under  their  saddles.  No  marks  of  religion,  or 


452 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  decency  in  their  manners,  are  to  be  found  among 
most  of  these  tribes.  They  are  fierce,  warlike,  hardy, 
and  brutally  gross.  They  are  all  robbers  ;  and  the 
Tartars  of  Dagheston,  who  border  on  civilized  na¬ 
tions,  have  a  great  trade  in  slaves,  whom  they  carry 
off  by  force,  and  sell  to  the  Persians  and  Turks.”* 
The  Arabians ,  like  the  Tartars,  live  mostly  with¬ 
out  government,  without  law,  and  almost  without  any 
social  intercourse.  They  still  continue  in  a  state  of 
rudeness  and  of  lawless  independency.  Their  chiefs 
authorize  rape,  theft,  and  robbery.  They  have  no 
estimation  for  virtue,  and  glory  in  almost  every  spe¬ 
cies  of  vice.  They  roam  about  in  the  deserts,  and 
attack  caravans  and  travellers  of  every  description, 
whom  they  frequently  murder,  and  plunder  of  their 
property. — The  Chinese ,  though  more  highly  civi¬ 
lized  than  the  tribes  now  mentioned,  and  though 
they  merit  great  applause  for  their  ingenuity,  indus¬ 
try,  and  perseverance,  are  as  despicable  in  their  moral 
characters,  and  as  destitute  of  true  benevolence,  as 
almost  any  nation  upon  earth.  Avarice  is  their 
leading  passion ;  and  in  order  to  gratify  it,  they  prac¬ 
tise  every  species  of  duplicity  and  fraud.  They 
cannot  be  influenced  by  motives  either  of  honesty  or 
of  humanity  ;  and  they  surpass  every  nation  on  the 
globe  in  private  cheating.  Captain  Cook  observes, 
that  (the  danger  of  being  hanged  for  any  crime  being 
excepted)  £C  there  is  nothing,  however  infamous, 
which  the  Chinese  will  refuse  to  do  for  gain.”  In 
this  opinion  he  concurs  with  every  preceding  and 
subsequent  writer,  and  confirms  it  by  a  variety  of 


*  Smellie’s  Philosophy  of  Natural  History. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS.  453 


striking  proofs,  of  which  an  additional  number  may 
be  seen  in  the  accounts  which  have  been  published 
of  our  late  embassies  to  that  empire. 

The  Birmans  are  a  lively,  inquisitive  race,  active, 
irascible,  and  impatient.  While  in  peace,  they  give 
proofs  of  a  certain  degree  of  gentleness  and  civiliza¬ 
tion  :  in  war,  they  display  the  ferocity  of  savages. 
— The  Malays ,  though  inhabiting  a  country  beauti¬ 
ful  and  delightful  in  the  extreme,  where  refreshing 
gales  and  cooling  streams  assuage  the  heat,  where 
the  soil  teems  with  delicious  fruits,  where  the  trees 
are  clothed  with  a  continual  verdure,  and  the  flowers 
breathe  their  fragrant  odours,  are  remarkably  fero¬ 
cious  in  their  manners.  They  go  always  armed, 
(except  the  slaves,)  and  would  think  themselves  dis¬ 
graced  if  they  went  abroad  without  their  poinards, 
The  inland  inhabitants  of  Malacca,  called  Monuca- 
boes ,  are  a  barbarous  savage  people,  delighting  in 
doing  continual  mischief  to  their  neighbours ;  on 
which  account,  no  grain  is  sown  about  Malacca,  but 
what  is  enclosed  in  gardens,  with  the  thickest  hedges 
or  deep  ditches;  for  when  the  grain  is  ripe  in  the 
open  plains,  the  Monucaboes  never  fail  to  set  fire  to 
it.  The  Persians ,  in  their  dispositions,  (says  Mr. 
Franklin,)  are  much  inclined  to  sudden  anger,  are 
quick,  fiery,  and  very  sensible  of  affronts,  which  they 
resent  on  the  spot.  Chardin  describes  them  as 
“  warlike,  vain,  and  ambitious  of  praise  ;  exceedingly 
luxurious,  prodigal,  voluptuous,  and  addicted  to  gal¬ 
lantry.”  It  is  well  known  that  the  wars  and  fiend¬ 
like  cruelties  in  which  the  despots  of  this  country 
have  been  engaged,  have  transformed  many  of  its 
provinces  into  scenes  of  sterility  and  desolation. — The 


454 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Hindoos  are  effeminate,  luxurious,  and  early  initiated 
into  the  arts  of  dissimulation.  They  can  caress  those 
whom  they  hate,  and  behave  with  the  utmost  affa¬ 
bility  and  kindness  to  such  as  they  intend  to  deprive 
of  existence,  by  the  most  sanguinary  means.  Though 
they  seldom  scold  or  wrangle,  they  often  stab  each 
other  insidiously,  and,  without  any  public  quarrel, 
gratify  a  private  revenge.  The  destruction  of  in¬ 
fants,  the  immolation  of  widows,  the  drowning  of 
aged  parents,  which  prevail  among  them,  and  the 
cruel  and  idolatrous  rites  which  distinguish  their  re¬ 
ligious  services,  are  too  well  known  to  require  de¬ 
scription. — The  Turks ,  though  grave,  and  rather 
hypochondriac,  yet,  when  agitated  by  passion,  are 
furious  and  ungovernable,  fraught  with  dissimulation, 
jealous,  suspicious,  and  vindictive  beyond  conception. 
They  are  superstitious,  and  obstinately  tenacious  in 
matters  of  religion,  and  are  incapable  of  exercising 
benevolence,  or  even  humanity,  towards  Christians 
or  towards  Jews.  Interest  is  their  supreme  good, 
and,  when  that  comes  in  competition,  all  ties  of  re¬ 
ligion,  consanguinity,  or  friendship,  are,  with  the 
generality,  speedily  dissolved.  They  have  deprived 
of  their  liberty  and  their  wealth,  all  who  have  been 
subjected  to  their  iron  sceptre,  and  have  plunged 
them  into  the  depths  of  moral  and  of  mental  debase¬ 
ment.  The  page  of  history  is  filled  with  details  of 
their  devastations  and  cruelties;  and  the  deeds  of  in¬ 
justice  and  of  horror  which  they  have  perpetrated, 
even  in  our  own  times,  are  scarcely  equalled  by  the 
atrocities  of  the  most  savage  hordes  of  mankind. 

If  we  take  a  survey  of  the  numerous  tribes  which 
inhabit  the  islands  of  the  Indian  and  the 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  NEW  ZEALANDERS.  455 


Pacific  oceans,  we  shall  find  similar  malevolent 
passions,  raging  without  control,  and  producing  all 
those  malignant  and  desolating  effects  which  have 
counteracted  the  benevolence  of  the  Creator,  and 
entailed  misery  on  the  human  race.  The  dismal 
effects  of  the  principle  of  hatred  directed  towards 
human  beings,  the  disposition  to  engage  in  continual 
warfare,  and  the  savage  ferocity  of  the  human  mind, 
when  unrestrained  by  moral  and  prudential  consi¬ 
derations,  are  no  where  so  strikingly  displayed,  as  in 
the  isles  which  are  scattered  throughout  the  wide 
expanse  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  Of  the  truth  of  these 
positions  we  have  abundance  of  melancholy  examples, 
in  the  reports  of  missionaries,  and  in  the  journals 
which  have  been  published  by  late  navigators,  from 
which  I  shall  select  only  two  or  three  examples. 

The  first  instance  I  shall  produce,  has  a  relation 
chiefly  to  the  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand.  With 
respect  to  these  islanders,  Captain  Cook  remarks, 
“  Their  public  contentions  are  frequent,  or  rather 
perpetual;  for  it  appears  from  their  number  of  wea¬ 
pons,  and  dexterity  in  using  them,  that  war  is  their 
principal  profession.” — “  The  war-dance  consists  of 
a  great  variety  of  violent  motions,  and  hideous  con¬ 
tortions  of  the  limbs,  during  which  the  countenance 
also  performs  a  part :  the  tongue  is  frequently  thrust 
out  to  an  incredible  length,  and  the  eye-lid  so  for¬ 
cibly  drawn  up,  that  the  white  appears  both  above 
and  below  as  well  as  on  each  side  of  the  iris,  so  as 
to  form  a  circle  around  it ;  nor  is  any  thing  neglected 
so  as  to  render  the  human  shape  frightful  and  de¬ 
formed.  To  such  as  have  not  been  accustomed  to 
such  a  practice,  they  appear  more  like  demons  than 


456 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


men,  and  would  almost  chill  the  boldest  with  fear; 
at  the  same  time  they  brandish  their  spears,  shake 
their  darts,  and  cleave  the  air  with  their  patoo-patoos. 
To  this  succeeds  a  circumstance  almost  foretold  in 
their  fierce  demeanour,  horrid  and  disgraceful  to  hu¬ 
man  nature,  which  is,  cutting  to  pieces,  even  before 
being  perfectly  dead,  the  bodies  of  their  enemies  ; 
and,  after  dressing  them  on  a  fire,  devouring  the 
flesh,  not  only  without  reluctance,  but  with  peculiar 
satisfaction.”  There  is  perhaps  nothing  that  can 
convey  a  more  striking  idea  of  the  actions  of  pure 
malevolence,  and  of  the  horrible  rage  and  fury  of 
infernal  fiends,  than  the  picture  here  presented  of 
these  savage  islanders. 

These  people  live  under  perpetual  apprehensions 
of  being  destroyed  by  each  other;  there  being  few 
of  their  tribes  that  have  not,  as  they  think,  sustained 
wrongs  from  some  other  tribe,  which  they  are  con¬ 
tinually  on  the  watch  to  avenge  ;  and  the  desire  of  a 
good  meal  is  no  small  incitement.  Many  years  will 
sometimes  elapse  before  a  favourable  opportunity 
happens,  yet  the  son  never  loses  sight  of  an  injury 
that  has  been  done  to  his  father. — £t  Their  method 
of  executing  their  horrible  designs  is,  by  stealing 
upon  the  adverse  party  in  the  night,  and  if  they  find 
them  unguarded,  (which  is  very  seldom  the  case,)  they 
kill  every  one  indiscriminately,  not  even  sparing  the 
women  and  children.  When  the  massacre  is  com¬ 
pleted,  they  either  feast  and  gorge  themselves  on 
the  spot,  or  carry  off  as  many  of  the  dead  bodies  as 
they  can,  and  devour  them  at  home,  with  acts  of 
brutality  too  shocking  to  be  described.  If  they  are 
discovered  before  they  execute  their  bloody  purpose, 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  NEW  ZEALANDERS.  457 


they  generally  steal  off  again ;  and  sometimes  are 
pursued  and  attacked  by  the  other  party  in  their 
turn.  To  give  quarter,  or  to  take  prisoners,  makes 
no  part  of  their  military  law  ;  so  that  the  vanquished 
can  save  their  lives  only  by  flight.  This  perpetual 
state  of  war,  and  destructive  method  of  conducting 
it,  operates  so  strongly  in  producing  habits  of  cir¬ 
cumspection,  that  one  hardly  ever  finds  a  New  Zea¬ 
lander  off  his  guard,  either  by  night  or  by  day.”* — 
While  the  mind  is  kept  in  such  a  sjtate  of  incessant 
anxiety  and  alarm,  it  must  be  impossible  for  human 
beings  to  taste  the  sweets  of  rational,  or  even  of 
sensitive  enjoyment.  A  melancholy  gloom  must 
hang  over  these  wretched  beings,  and  the  dark  sus¬ 
picions,  and  the  revengeful  passions  which  agitate 
their  minds,  can  only  fit  them  for  those  regions  of 
darkness  where  the  radiations  of  benevolence  are 
completely  extinguished. 

The  implacable  hatred  which  these  savages  en¬ 
tertain  towards  each  other,  is  illustrated  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  short  narrative  from  Captain  Cook : — 
“  Among'  our  occasional  visitors  was  a  chief  named 
Kahoora,  who,  as  I  was  informed,  headed  the  party 
that  cut  off  Captain  Furneaux’s  people,  and  himself 
killed  Mr.  Rowe,  the  officer  who  commanded.  To 
judge  of  the  character  of  Kahoora,  by  what  I  had 
heard  from  many  of  his  countrymen,  he  seemed  to 
be  more  feared  than  beloved  among  them.  Not 
satisfied  with  telling  me  that  he  was  a  very  bad 
man,  some  of  them  even  importuned  me  to  kill  him : 
and  I  believe  they  were  not  a  little  surprised  that 


*  Cook’s  Voyages. 
U 


D.  2. 


458 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


I  did  not  listen  to  them;  for,  according  to  their 
ideas  of  equity,  this  ought  to  have  been  done.  But 
if  I  had  followed  the  advice  of  all  our  pretended 
friends,  I  might  have  extirpated  the  whole  race; 
for  the  people  of  each  hamlet  or  village ,  by  turns , 
applied  to  me  to  destroy  the  other.  One  would 
have  almost  thought  it  impossible,  that  so  striking  a 
proof  of  the  divided  state  in  which  this  people  live, 
could  have  been  assigned.” 

Similar  dispositions  are  displayed  throughout  al¬ 
most  all  the  other  islands  of  the  Southern  ocean. 
The  following  description  is  given  by  M.  de  la 
Perouse,  of  the  inhabitants  of  Maouna ,  Oyolava , 
and  other  islands  in  the  Navigator’s  Archipelago  : — 
“  Their  native  ferocity  of  countenance  always  ex¬ 
presses  either  surprise  or  anger.  The  least  dispute 
between  them  is  followed  by  blows  of  sticks,  clubs, 
or  paddles,  and  often  costs  the  combatants  their 
lives.”  With  regard  to  the  women,  he  remarks: 
“The  gross  effrontery  of  their  conduct,  the  inde¬ 
cency  of  their  motions,  and  the  disgusting  offers  they 
made  of  their  favours,  rendered  them  fit  mothers  and 
wives  for  the  ferocious  beings  that  surrounded  us.” 
The  treachery  and  ferocity  of  these  savages  were 
strikingly  displayed  in  massacring  M.  de  Langle, 
the  astronomer,  and  eleven  of  the  crew  that  belonged 
to  Perouse’s  vessel ;  and  such  was  their  fierce  bar¬ 
barity,  that,  after  having  killed  them,  they  still  con¬ 
tinued  to  wreak  their  fury  upon  the  inanimate  bodies 
with  their  clubs.  The  natives  of  New  Caledonia 
are  a  race  of  a  similar  description.  Though  Cap¬ 
tain  Cook  describes  them  as  apparently  a  good-na¬ 
tured  sort  of  people,  yet  subsequent  navigators  have 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  OTAHEITANS,  &C.  459 

found  them  to  be  almost  the  very  reverse  of  what  he 
described;  as  ferocious  in  the  extreme,  addicted  to 
cannibalism,  and  to  every  barbarity  shocking  to 
human  nature.  The  French  navigator,  Admiral 
D’Entrecasteaux,  in  his  intercourse  with  these  peo¬ 
ple,  received  undoubted  proofs  of  their  savage  dis¬ 
position,  and  of  their  being  accustomed  to  feed  on 
human  flesh.  Speaking  of  one  of  the  natives,  who 
had  visited  his  ship,  and  had  described  the  various 
practices  connected  with  cannibalism,  he  says, — <e  It 
is  difficult  to  depict  the  ferocious  avidity  with  which 
he  expressed  to  us,  that  the  flesh  of  their  unfortunate 
victims  was  devoured  by  them  after  they  had  broiled 
it  on  the  coals.  This  cannibal  also  let  us  know, 
that  the  flesh  of  the  arms  and  less  was  cut  into 
slices,  and  that  they  considered  the  most  muscular 
parts  a  very  agreeable  dish.  It  was  then  easy  for 
us  to  explain,  why  they  frequently  felt  our  arms  and 
legs,  manifesting  a  violent  longing;  they  then  ut¬ 
tered  a  faint  whistling,  which  they  produced  by  clos¬ 
ing  their  teeth,  and  applying  to  them  the  tip  of  the 
tongue ;  afterwards  opening  their  mouth,  they 
smacked  their  lips  several  times  in  succession.” 

The  character  of  the  islanders  now  described, 
may  be  considered  as  common  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  New  Hebrides,  the  Friendly  Islands,  the  Mar¬ 
quesas,  New  Guinea,  New  Britain,  the  Ladrones, 
and  almost  all  the  islands  which  are  dispersed  over 
the  vast  expanse  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  Captain 
Cook,  when  describing  the  natives  of  New  Zealand, 
remarks,  that  “  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  parts  of 
the  South  Seas  have  not  even  the  idea  of  indecency 
with  respect  to  any  object,  or  to  any  action.”  The 

u  2 


460  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

inhabitants  even  of  the  Society  and  the  Sandwich 
Isles,  prior  to  the  state  of  moral  and  religious  im¬ 
provement  to  which  they  have  lately  advanced,  though 
their  dispositions  were  somewhat  milder  than  those 
of  the  other  islanders — were  almost  equally  low  in 
point  of  moral  debasement.  Captain  Cook,  speak¬ 
ing  of  the  natives  of  Otaheite ,  declares,  ££  They  are 
all  arrant  thieves,  and  can  pick  pockets  with  the 
dexterity  of  the  most  expert  London  blackguard.”  * 
When  describing  the  societies  distinguished  by  the 
name  of  Arreoy ,  he  declares,  as  a  characteristic  of 
the  female  part  of  the  community,  ££  If  any  of  the 
women  happen  to  be  with  child,  which  in  this  man¬ 
ner  of  life  happens  less  frequently  than  in  ordinary 
cases,  the  poor  infant  is  smothered  the  moment  it  is 
born,  that  it  may  be  no  incumberance  to  the  father, 
nor  interrupt  the  mother  in  the  pleasures  of  her  dia¬ 
bolical  prostitution.”-|-  Another  circumstance,  stated 
by  the  same  navigator,  exhibits  their  former  moral 
character  in  a  still  more  shocking  point  of  view.  On 
the  approach  of  war  with  any  of  the  neighbouring 
islands,  or  on  other  interesting  occasions,  human 
sacrifices  were  a  universal  practice.  ££  When  I  de¬ 
scribed,”  says  this  illustrious  voyager,  ££  the  Natibe 
at  Tongabatoo,  I  mentioned  that,  on  the  approach¬ 
ing  sequel  of  that  festival,  we  had  been  told  that  ten 
men  were  to  be  sacrificed.  This  may  give  us  an 
idea  of  the  extent  of  this  religious  massacre  on  that 
island.  And  though  we  should  suppose,  that  never 
more  than  one  person  is  sacrificed  on  any  single  oc- 


*  Hawkesworth’s  Narrative  of  Cook’s  Voyages,  Vol.  ii. 

f  Ibid. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  OTAHEITANS,  &C.  461 

casion  at  Otaheite,  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
these  occasions  happen  so  frequently,  as  to  make  a 
shocking  waste  of  the  human  race  ;  for  I  counted  no 
less  than  forty-nine  skulls  of  former  victims,  lying 
before  the  Morai,  where  we  saw  one  more  added  to 
the  number.  And,  as  none  of  these  skulls  had,  as 
yet,  suffered  any  considerable  change  from  the  wea¬ 
ther,  it  may  hence  be  inferred,  that  no  great  length 
of  time  had  elapsed,  since  this  number  of  unhappy 
wretches  had  been  offered  on  this  altar  of  blood.”* 
He  also  informs  us,  that  human  sacrifices  were  more 
frequent  in  the  Sandwich  than  in  any  of  the  other 
islands.  “  These  horrid  rites,”  says  he,  (i  are  not 
only  had  recourse  to  upon  the  commencement  of  war, 
and  preceding  great  battles,  and  other  signal  enter¬ 
prises  ;  but  the  death  of  any  considerable  chief  calls 
for  a  sacrifice  of  one  or  more  Towtows,  (that  is,  vul¬ 
gar  or  low  persons,)  according  to  his  rank;  and  we 
were  told  that  ten  men  were  destined  to  suffer  on  the 
death  of  Terreeoboo,  one  of  their  great  chiefs.”  f 
Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  moral  disposi¬ 
tions — the  hatred,  the  horrid  warfare,  and  the  abo¬ 
minable  practices,  which  are  displayed  over  the  greater 
portion  of  the  Eastern  and  Western  Continents,  and 
among  the  thousands  of  islands  which  diversify  the 
surface  of  the  Ocean, — dispositions  and  practices, 
which,  if  permitted  to  extend  their  influence  univer¬ 
sally  and  without  control,  would  soon  extirpate  the 
intelligent  creation,  and  banish  happiness  from  the 
Empire  of  God. 


*  Hawkesworth’s  Narrative,  Vol.  ii. 


f  Ibid. 


462 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION-* 


WARLIKE  ATTITUDE  OF  NATIONS. 

Were  Benevolence  a  characteristic  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  our  globe,  every  traveller  would  be  secure 
from  danger  from  his  fellow-men ;  he  might  land  on 
every  shore  without  the  least  suspicion  or  alarm,  and 
confidently  expect  that  his  distresses  would  be  re¬ 
lieved,  and  his  wants  supplied,  by  every  tribe  of  the 
human  race  among  whom  he  might  occasionally  so¬ 
journ.  No  hostile  weapons  would  be  lifted  up  to 
repel  a  stranger,  when  gratifying  his  curiosity  in 
visiting  distant  lands ;  and  no  instruments  of  de¬ 
struction  would  require  to  be  forged,  to  preserve  a 
nation  from  the  inroads  of  destroyers.  But  when 
we  survey  the  actual  state  of  mankind,  we  find  almost 
every  nation  under  heaven,  if  not  actually  engaged 
in  war,  at  least  in  a  warlike  attitude,  and  one  of 
their  chief  employments  consists  in  devising  schemes, 
either  of  conquest  or  revenge,  and  in  furbishing  the 
instruments  of  death.  The  following  instances  may 
suffice,  as  illustrations  of  this  position. 

The  armies  of  Ashantee,  says  Dupuis,  amount 
to  upwards  of  80,000  men,  armed  with  tomahawks, 
lances,  knives,  javelins,  bows  and  arrows;  and  40,000 
who  can  occasionally  be  put  in  possession  of  mus¬ 
kets  and  blunderbusses.  The  opposing  armies  of 
Moslem  andDinheru,  amounted  at  times  to  140,000 
men.  The  King  of  Dahomy,  and  his  auxiliaries, 
can  raise  about  50,000  men,  armed  with  bows  and 
arrows,  sabres,  and  iron  maces.  The  King  of  Benin 
can  arm  200,000  upon  an  emergency,  and  furnish 
10,000  of  them  with  muskets.  In  those  countries 


WARLIKE  ATTITUDE  OF  NATIONS. 


463 


of  Africa  where  fire-arms  and  gunpowder  are  un¬ 
known,  they  wield  the  following  kinds  of  arms  with 
great  dexterity  and  execution.  These  are,  very 
strong  supple  lances,  which  are  barbed  and  poisoned, 
targets,  bows  and  arrows,  tomahawks,  and  iron  maces  ; 
the  former  of  which  they  are  in  the  practice  of  poi¬ 
soning  with  a  venom  more  deadly  than  that  which  is 
used  by  any  other  nation,  as  its  operation  is  said  to 
be  sometimes  instantaneous,  and  its  wound,  though 
ever  so  slight,  usually  produces  death  within  the  lapse 
of  a  few  minutes.* 

Such  is  the  warlike  disposition  displayed  by  a  few 
comparatively  insignificant  tribes  in  Africa  ;  and  simi¬ 
lar  dispositions  are  manifested,  and  similar  attitudes 
assumed,  by  almost  all  the  tribes  which  inhabit  that 
continent.  Their  time,  and  their  physical  and  men¬ 
tal  exertions,  seem  to  be  spent  as  much  in  war,  and 
in  the  preparation  of  warlike  instruments,  as  if  these 
were  the  great  ends  for  which  the  Creator  had  brought 
them  into  existence.  If  the  ingenuity  and  energies 
displayed  in  such  pursuits,  were  employed  in  opera¬ 
tions  calculated  to  promote  the  benefit  of  mankind, 
what  an  immense  proportion  of  happiness  would  be 
distributed  among  numerous  tribes  which  are  just 
now  sunk  into  depravity,  and  into  the  depths  of 
wretchedness  and  woe  ! 

Pallas,  in  his  description  of  the  nations  inhabit¬ 
ing  the  Caucasus,  when  speaking  of  the  Circassians, 
says,  “  Persons  of  wealth  and  rank  never  leave  the 
house  without  a  sabre,  nor  do  they  venture  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  village  without  being  completely 


Dupuis’  Mission  to  Asliantee,  in  1823. 


4  64 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION, 


arrayed,  and  having  their  breast-pockets  supplied 
with  ball  cartridges.”  In  regard  to  the  lower  class, 
“  when  they  do  not  carry  a  sabre,  with  other  arms, 
they  provide  themselves  with  a  strong  staff,  two  ar¬ 
shines  long,  on  the  top  of  which  is  fixed  a  large  iron 
head,  and  the  lower  end  is  furnished  with  a  sharp 
iron  pike,  about  eighteen  inches  long,  which  they 
are  accustomed  to  throw  expertly,  like  a  dart.  The 
Princes  and  Knights  pursue  no  other  business  or 
recreation  than  war,  pillage,  and  the  amusements  of 
the  chase;  they  live  a  lordly  life,  wander  about, 
meet  at  drinking  parties,  and  undertake  military  ex¬ 
cursions.”  Among  these  people,  “the  desire  of 
revenge  for  injuries  received,  is  hereditary  in  the 
successors,  and  in  the  whole  tribe.  It  remains,  as 
it  were,  rooted  with  so  much  rancour,  that  the  hos¬ 
tile  princes  or  nobles  of  two  different  tribes,  when 
they  meet  each  other  on  the  road,  or  accidentally  in 
another  place,  are  compelled  to  fight  for  their  lives; 
unless  they  have  given  previous  notice  to  each  other, 
and  bound  themselves  to  pursue  a  different  route. 
Unless  pardon  be  purchased,  or  obtained  by  inter¬ 
marriage  between  the  two  families,  the  principle  of 
revenge  is  propagated  to  all  succeeding  generations.”* 
It  is  well  known,  that  in  almost  all  the  islands  in 
the  Indian  and  the  Southern  Oceans,  when  naviga¬ 
tors  attempt  to  land,  in  order  to  procure  water  and 
provisions,  they  are  almost  uniformly  opposed  by 
crowds  of  ferocious  savages,  armed  with  long  spears, 
clubs,  lances,  bows  and  arrows ;  and,  with  horrid 


*  Pallas’  “  Travels  through  the  Southern  Provinces  of  the 
Russian  Empire,”  Vol.  ii.  pp.  401,  405. 


WARLIKE  ATTITUDE  OF  NATIONS. 


4(15 


yells,  brandishing  them  in  the  most  hostile  attitudes. 
In  some  instances,  these  warlike  attitudes  might  he 
accounted  for,  from  a  fear  of  the  depredations  and 
murders  which  might  be  committed  by  strangers, 
with  whose  characters  they  are  unacquainted.  But 
the  implacable  hatred  which  they  manifest  towards 
even  the  neighbouring  tribes  with  which  they  are 
acquainted,  and  of  which  I  have  already  stated  seve¬ 
ral  instances,  shows,  that  war,  revenge,  and  the  pre¬ 
paration  of  the  instruments  of  death,  are  both  their 
employment  and  their  delight.  Yea,  not  only  sav¬ 
age  and  half-civilized  tribes,  hut  almost  every  civi¬ 
lized  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  is  found  in  a 
hostile  attitude  with  respect  to  surrounding  nations 
— either  actually  engaged  in  a  deadly  warfare  with 
a  foreign  power,  or  preparing  for  an  attack,  or  keep¬ 
ing  up  fleets  and  standing  armies,  and  forging  can¬ 
nons,  and  balls,  and  swords,  in  the  prospect  of  a 
rupture  with  neighbouring  states.  In  such  hostile 
preparations  and  employments,  a  great  proportion  of 
those  treasures  is  expended,  which,  if  directed  by 
the  hand  of  Benevolence,  would  be  the  means  of 
transforming  the  wilderness  into  a  fruitful  field,  of 
diffusing  intelligence  and  moral  principle  among  all 
ranks,  and  of  making  the  hearts  of  the  widow  and 
the  orphan  “to  leap  for  joy.”  What  a  pitiful  pic¬ 
ture  is  here  presented  of  Man,  who  was  originally 
formed  after  the  image  of  his  Maker,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  displaying  benevolent  affections  towards  his 
fellows, — now  divided  into  hostile  tribes,  and  bran¬ 
dishing,  with  infernal  fury,  at  all  around,  the  instru¬ 
ments  of  destruction !  How  art  thou  fallen,  O 
Man,  from  thy  original  station  of  dignity  and  hon- 

u  3 


466 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


our  !  <c  How  is  the  gold  become  dim,  and  the  most 
fine  gold  changed  !  The  crown  is  fallen  from  our 
heads ;  woe  unto  us,  for  we  have  sinned  !  ” 

INHUMANITY  OF  UNCIVILIZED  TRIBES  TO  UNFOR¬ 
TUNATE  TRAVELLERS. 

In  passing  through  the  scene  of  his  earthly  pil¬ 
grimage,  Man  is  exposed  to  a  variety  of  distresses 
and  dangers.  Sometimes  he  is  exposed  to  the  de¬ 
structive  pestilence,  and  to  the  ravages  of  the  earth¬ 
quake  and  the  volcano;  the  blasts  of  the  tempest, 
the  hurricane,  and  the  tornado,  and  the  fury  of  a 
stormy  ocean.  At  other  times,  he  is  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  the  lion,  the  tiger,  and  the  hyena,  in  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  forest.  It  would  be  well,  how¬ 
ever,  with  man,  were  these  the  only  evils  and  ene¬ 
mies  which  he  had  to  encounter.  But  the  greatest 
enemy  which  man  has  to  combat,  is  Man  himself — 
those  who  are  partakers  of  the  same  nature,  and 
destined  to  the  same  immortal  existence.  From 
these  kindred  beings,  he  is  exposed  to  calamities  in¬ 
comparably  greater  and  more  numerous,  than  all  the 
evils  which  he  suffers  from  the  beasts  of  prey,  or 
from  the  fury  of  the  raging  elements.  It  is  a  most 
melancholy  reflection,  that,  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  the  habitable  world,  no  traveller  can  prose¬ 
cute  his  journey,  without  being  in  hazard  either  of 
being  dragged  into  captivity,  or  insulted  and  mal¬ 
treated,  or  plundered  of  bis  treasures,  or  deprived  of 
his  life,  by  those  who  ought  to  be  his  friends  and 
protectors.  After  he  has  eluded  the  pursuit  of  the 
lion  or  the  tiger,  or  after  he  has  escaped,  with  diffi- 


INHUMANITY  TOWARDS  TRAVELLERS.  467 

culty,  from  the  jaws  of  the  devouring  deep,  he  is  fre¬ 
quently  exposed  to  the  fury  of  demons  in  human 
shape,  who  insult  over  his  misfortunes,  instead  of  re¬ 
lieving  the  wants  of  his  body,  and  soothing  the  an¬ 
guish  of  his  mind.  The  following  relations,  among  a 
numerous  series  which  might  be  presented  to  the  view 
of  the  reader,  will  tend  to  illustrate  these  remarks. 

My  first  example  shall  be  taken  from  the  “  Nar¬ 
rative  of  the  Loss  of  the  Grosvenor  Indiaman.” 
This  vessel  sailed  from  Trincomalee,  June  13th, 
1782,  on  her  homew7ard-bound  voyage,  and  was 
wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Caffraria,  on  the  4th  of 
August  following.  It  is  needless  to  dwell  on  the 
circumstances  which  attended  the  shipwreck,  and  on 
the  consternation  and  despair  which  seized  upon  the 
passengers  and  the  crew,  when  they  became  alive  to 
all  the  terrors  of  the  scene.  Shipwreck,  even  in  its 
mildest  form,  is  a  calamity  which  never  fails  to  fill 
the  mind  w’ith  horror;  but  what  is  instant  death, 
considered  as  a  temporary  evil,  compared  with  the 
situation  of  those  who  had  hunger,  and  thirst,  and 
nakedness  to  contend  with ;  who  only  escaped  the 
fury  of  the  waves,  to  enter  into  conflicts  with  the 
savages  of  the  forest,  or  the  still  greater  savages  of 
the  human  race ;  who  were  cut  oft’  from  all  civilized 
society,  and  felt  the  prolongation  of  life  to  be  only 
the  lengthened  pains  of  death  ! 

After  losing  about  twenty  men,  in  their  first  at¬ 
tempts  to  land,  the  remaining  part  of  the  crew  and 
passengers,  in  number  about  a  hundred,  after  en¬ 
countering  many  difficulties  and  dangers,  reached 
the  shore.  Next  morning,  a  thousand  uneasy  sen¬ 
sations  were  produced,  from  the  natives  having  come 


468 


PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


down  to  the  shore,  and,  without  ceremony,  carried 
off  whatever  suited  their  fancy.  They  were  at  this 
time  about  447  leagues  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  226  beyond  the  limits  of  any  Christian 
habitation.  Their  only  resource  appeared  to  be,  to 
direct  their  course  by  land  to  the  Cape,  or  to  the 
nearest  Dutch  settlement.  As  they  moved  forward, 
they  were  followed  by  some  of  the  natives,  who,  in¬ 
stead  of  showing  compassion  to  this  wretched  group, 
plundered  them  from  time  to  time  of  what  they  liked, 
and  sometimes  pelted  them  with  stones.  In  this 
way  they  pursued  their  journey  for  four  or  five  days ; 
during  which,  the  natives  constantly  surrounded 
them  in  the  day,  taking  from  them  whatever  they 
pleased,  but  invariably  retired  in  the  night.  As 
they  proceeded,  they  saw  many  villages,  which  they 
carefully  avoided,  that  they  might  be  less  exposed 
to  the  insults  of  the  natives.  At  last,  they  came  to 
a  deep  gully,  where  three  of  the  Caffres  met  them, 
armed  with  lances,  which  they  held  several  times  to 
the  captain’s  throat.  Next  day,  on  coming  to  a 
large  village,  they  found  these  three  men,  with  three 
or  four  hundred  of  their  countrymen,  all  armed  with 
lances  and  targets,  who  stopped  the  English,  and 
began  to  pilfer  and  insult  them,  and  at  last  fell  upon 
them  and  beat  them.  With  these  inhuman  wretches 
they  had  to  engage  in  a  kind  of  running  fight  for 
upwards  of  two  hours  ;  after  which,  they  cut  the 
buttons  from  their  coats,  and  presented  them  to  the 
natives,  on  which  they  went  away  and  returned  no 
more.  The  following  night  they  were  terrified  with 
the  noise  of  the  wild  beasts,  and  kept  constant  watch 
for  fear  both  of  them  and  the  natives.  How  dread- 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS.  469 


ful  a  situation,  especially  for  those  delicate  ladies  and 
children  who  had  so  lately  been  accustomed  to  all 
the  delicacies  of  the  East !  Next  day,  as  they  were 
advancing,  a  party  of  natives  came  down  upon  them, 
and  plundered  them,  among  other  things,  of  their 
tinder-box,  flint  and  steel,  which  proved  an  irrepara¬ 
ble  loss.  Every  man  was  now  obliged  to  travel,  by 
turns,  with  a  firebrand  in  his  hand;  and  before  the 
natives  retired,  they  showed  more  insolence  than 
ever,  robbing  the  gentlemen  of  their  watches,  and 
the  ladies  of  their  jewels,  which  they  had  secreted  in 
their  hair.  Opposition  was  vain ;  the  attempt  only 
brought  fresh  insults  or  blows. 

This  group  of  wretched  wanderers  now  separated 
into  different  parties,  and  took  different  directions  ; 
their  provisions  were  nearly  exhausted;  and  the  de¬ 
lay  occasioned  by  travelling  with  the  women  and 
children  was  very  great.  Their  difficulties  increased 
as  they  proceeded  on  their  journey ;  they  had  nu¬ 
merous  rivers,  sometimes  nearly  two  miles  in  breadth, 
to  swim  across  in  the  course  of  their  route,  while  the 
women  and  children  were  conveyed  across  on  floating 
stages,  at  the  imminent  hazard  of  their  lives,  and  of 
being  carried  down  by  the  impetuous  current  into 
the  sea.  Whole  days  were  spent  in  tracing  the 
rivers  towards  their  source,  in  order  to  obtain  a  ford. 
They  traversed  vast  plains  of  sand,  and  bleak  and 
barren  deserts,  where  nothing  could  be  found  to  al¬ 
leviate  their  hunger,  nor  the  least  drop  of  water  to 
quench  their  raging  thirst.  They  passed  through 
deep  forests,  where  human  feet  had  never  trode, 
where  nothing  was  heard  but  the  dreadful  bowlings 
of  wild  beasts,  which  filled  them  with  alarm  and  de- 


470 


PPIILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


spair.  Wild  sorrel,  berries  which  the  birds  had 
picked  at,  and  a  few  shell-fish  which  they  occasion¬ 
ally  picked  up  on  the  shore,  were  the  only  food  which 
they  had  to  subsist  on  for  several  days;  and  on  some 
occasions  the  dead  body  of  a  seal,  or  the  putrid  car¬ 
case  of  a  whale,  was  hailed  as  a  delicious  treat  to 
their  craving  appetites.  One  person  fell  after  an¬ 
other  into  the  arms  of  death,  through  hunger,  fatigue, 
and  despair;  and  were  sometimes  obliged  to  be  left 
in  the  agonies  of  dissolution,  as  a  prey  to  ravenous 
beasts,  or  to  the  fowls  of  heaven.  The  following 
circumstance  shows  the  dreadful  situation  to  which 
they  were  reduced  for  want  of  food : — cc  It  appeared 
that  the  captain’s  steward  had  been  buried  in  the 
sand  of  the  last  desert  they  had  passed,  and  that  the 
survivors  were  reduced  to  such  extremity,  that,  after 
he  had  been  interred,  they  sent  back  two  of  their 
companions  to  cut  off  part  of  his  flesh;  but  while 
they  proceeded  in  this  horrid  business,  they  had  the 
good  fortune  to  discover  a  young  seal,  newly  driven 
on  shore,  which  proved  a  most  seasonable  relief.” 

Imagination  cannot  form  a  scene  of  deeper  distress 
than  what  the  tender  sex  and  the  little  children 
must,  in  such  a  case,  have  experienced.  It  harrows 
up  the  very  soul  to  think  what  pangs  those  delicate 
females  who  had  so  lately  been  inured  to  all  the 
luxuries  of  India,  must  have  endured,  when  they 
were  fain  to  appease  their  craving  appetites  on  the 
putrid  carcase  of  a  whale,  and  obliged  to  repose  on 
the  bare  ground,  amidst  the  bowlings  of  the  tempest, 
and  the  more  dismal  yells  of  the  beasts  of  prey. 
But,  amidst  this  heart-rending  scene,  their  fellow- 
men,  who  ought  to  have  been  their  protectors,  and 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS.  471 

who  had  it  in  their  power  to  have  alleviated  their 
distresses,  were  the  greatest  enemies  they  had  to 
encounter;  and  their  appearance  filled  their  minds 
with  greater  alarm,  than  if  they  had  beheld  a  roaring 
lion  or  a  raging  bear.  The  following  are  some 
specimens  of  the  perfidy  and  inhumanity  of  the  na¬ 
tives  : — In  passing  through  a  village,  one  of  the 
company  observing,  “  that  a  traffic  would  not  be  un¬ 
acceptable,  offered  them  the  inside  of  his  watch  for 
a  calf ;  hut  though  they  assented  to  the  terms,  no 
sooner  had  they  obtained  the  price,  than  they  with¬ 
held  the  calf,  and  drove  the  English  from  their  vil¬ 
lage.”  In  the  same  manner  were  they  used  on  many 
other  occasions.  One  time,  when  resting  at  a  vil¬ 
lage,  where  the  natives  offered  no  particular  resis¬ 
tance,  <£  they  produced  two  bowls  of  milk,  which 
they  seemed  willing  to  barter,  but  as  our  wretched 
countrymen  had  nothing  to  give  in  exchange,  they 
denied  them  this  humble  boon  without  an  equivalent, 
and  ate  it  up  themselves.”  At  the  same  place,  they 
implored,  in  the  most  impressive  terms,  to  partake 
with  the  natives  of  the  spoils  of  a  deer  which  they 
had  just  killed,  but  they  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  their 
solicitations,  and  insisted,  moreover,  on  their  quitting 
the  kraal.  On  another  occasion,  “  on  coming  to  a 
large  village,  the  inhabitants  set  upon  them  with  such 
fury,  that  several  were  severely  wounded,  and  one  of 
them  died  soon  after.” 

In  this  manner  did  the  wretched  remains  of  these 
hapless  wanderers  traverse  the  wilds  of  Africa,  dur¬ 
ing  the  space  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen  days, 
till  they  accidentally  met  with  some  Dutch  settlers, 
when  within  400  miles  of  the  Cape.  Here  they 


472 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


were  treated  with  the  kindest  attention,  and  their 
wants  relieved.  But,  by  this  time,  only  15  or  20 
emaciated  beings  survived,  out  of  more  than  120 
persons  who  were  on  board  the  Grosvenor.  What 
became  of  the  captain  and  his  party  is  still  unknown. 
Some  are  supposed  to  have  perished  from  hunger, 
some  through  grief  and  fatigue,  and  others  to  have 
been  killed  by  the  inhospitable  natives. —  Now,  all 
the  accumulated  miseries  endured  by  these  unfortu¬ 
nate  travellers,  and  the  premature  death  of  nearly  a 
hundred  persons,  are  to  be  attributed  to  that  spirit  of 
selfishness  and  hostility,  which,  in  all  ages,  has  pre¬ 
vented  enjoyment,  and  entailed  misery  on  the  human 
race.  Had  a  principle  of  love  to  mankind  pervaded 
the  hearts  of  the  wretched  Caffres,  or  had  even  the 
common  feelings  of  humanity  been  exercised  towards 
their  fellow-creatures  in  distress,  the  wffiole  of  the 
unfortunate  individuals  that  perished  in  Africa’s  in¬ 
hospitable  clime,  might  have  been  conducted  in  safety 
to  their  friends  and  their  native  land. 

My  next  example  is  taken  from  M.  de  Brisson’s 
“  Narrative  of  his  Captivity  among  the  Moors.” 
M.  Brisson  was  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of  Barbary, 
on  the  10th  July,  1785,  and,  after  much  difficulty 
and  danger,  he,  along  with  the  crew,  escaped  safe 
to  land.  No  sooner  had  they  reached  the  shore, 
than  they  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  savages, 
and  seized  by  the  collars.  “  The  Arabs,”  says 
M.  Brisson,  “  armed  with  cutlasses  and  large  clubs, 
fell  upon  my  companions  with  incredible  ferocity ; 
and  1  had  the  mortification  of  soon  seeing  some  of 
them  wounded,  whilst  others,  stripped  and  naked, 
lay  stretched  and  expiring  on  the  sand.  The  news 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS.  473 


of  our  shipwreck  being  spread  abroad  through  the 
country,  we  saw  the  savages  running  with  the  greatest 
eagerness  from  all  quarters.  The  women ,  enraged 
that  they  could  not  pillage  the  ship,  threw  them¬ 
selves  upon  us,  and  tore  from  us  the  few  articles  of 
dress  which  we  had  left.  While  they  went  to  the 
shore  to  obtain  more  plunder,  a  company  of  Ouade- 
lims  discovered  and  pillaged  our  retreat,  and  beat  us 
in  the  most  unmerciful  manner,  till  I  was  almost  at 
the  last  gasp.  My  mind  was  so  much  affected  that 
I  could  not  refrain  from  tears ;  and  some  of  the 
women  having  observed  it,  instead  of  being  moved 
with  compassion,  threw  sand  in  my  eyes ,  4  to  dry  up 
my  tears,’  as  they  expressed  it.”  M.  Brisson  was 
forced,  by  these  rude  barbarians,  into  the  interior  of 
the  country,  as  a  captive.  44  After  passing,”  says 
he,  44  mountains  of  a  prodigious  height,  which  were 
covered  with  small  sharp  flints,  I  found  that  the 
soles  of  my  feet  were  entirely  covered  with  blood.  I 
was  permitted  to  get  up  behind  my  master  on  his 
camel ;  but  as  I  was  naked,  I  could  not  secure  my¬ 
self  from  the  friction  of  the  animal’s  hair,  so  that  in 
a  very  little  time  my  skin  was  entirely  rubbed  off. 
My  blood  trickled  down  over  the  animal’s  sides,  and 
this  sight,  instead  of  moving  the  pity  of  these  bar¬ 
barians,  afforded  them  a  subject  of  diversion.  They 
sported  witli  my  sufferings;  and  that  their  enjoy¬ 
ments  might  be  still  higher,  they  spurred  on  their 
camels.”  After  travelling  for  sixteen  days,  during 
which  they  were  exposed  to  the  greatest  fatigue,  and 
the  most  dreadful  miseries,  they  at  length  reached 
the  place  of  their  destination,  in  a  most  wretched 
condition.  And  what  was  the  manner  of  their  re- 


474 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ception  ?  The  women  having  satisfied  their  curiosity 
in  inquiries  about  the  strangers,  immediately  began 
to  load  them  with  abuse.  “  They  even  spat  in  our 
faces,”  says  M.  B.  “  and  pelted  us  with  stones. 
The  children,  too,  copying  their  example,  pinched 
us,  pulled  our  hair,  and  scratched  us  with  their  nails, 
whilst  their  cruel  mothers  ordered  them  to  attack 
sometimes  one  and  sometimes  another,  and  took  plea¬ 
sure  in  causing  them  torment  us.” 

They  were  compelled  to  work  at  the  most  fatiguing 
and  menial  employments,  and  beaten  with  severity 
when  they  did  not  exert  themselves  far  beyond  their 
strength,  while  they  were  denied  a  single  morsel  of 
wholesome  food.  “  As  we  were  Christians,”  says 
the  narrator,  C£  the  dogs  fared  better  than  we,  and  it 
was  in  the  basons  destined  for  their  use  that  we  re¬ 
ceived  our  allowance  :  our  food  was  raw  snails,  and 
herbs  and  plants  trodden  under  foot  by  the  multi¬ 
tude.”  In  this  manner  did  these  unfortunate  tra¬ 
vellers  drag  out  the  period  of  their  captivity;  some 
died  of  the  blows  and  harsh  treatment  they  received, 
and  others  died  of  hunger  and  despair.  M.  Brisson 
one  day  found  the  captain  of  the  vessel,  in  a  neigh¬ 
bouring  hamlet,  stretched  out  lifeless  upon  the  sand, 
and  scarcely  distinguishable  but  by  the  colour  of  his 
body.  In  his  mouth  he  held  one  of  his  hands,  which 
his  great  weakness  had  no  doubt  prevented  him  from 
devouring.  He  was  so  changed  by  hunger,  that  his 
body  exhibited  the  most  disgusting  appearance;  all 
his  features  being  absolutely  effaced.  A  few  days 
after,  the  second  captain  having  fallen  down  through 
weakness  below  an  old  gum  tree,  became  a  prey  to 
the  attacks  of  a  monstrous  serpent.  Some  famished 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS.  475 


crows,  by  their  cries,  frightened  away  the  venomous 
animal,  and,  alighting  on  the  body  of  the  dying  man, 
were  tearing  him  to  pieces,  while  four  savage  mon¬ 
sters  in  human  shape,  still  more  cruel  than  the  furi¬ 
ous  reptile,  beheld  this  scene  without  offering  him 
the  least  assistance.  “  I  attempted  to  run  towards 
him,”  says  M.  Brisson,  “  and  to  save  his  life,  if  pos¬ 
sible  ;  but  the  barbarians  stopped  me,  and,  after  in¬ 
sulting  me,  said,  c  This  Christian  will  soon  become 
a  prey  to  the  flames.’  ”  The  bad  state  of  health  of 
this  unfortunate  man  would  not  permit  him  to  labour, 
and  his  master  and  mistress  would  not  allow  him  the 
milk  necessary  for  his  subsistence. — Such  were  the 
scenes  of  inhumanity  and  of  cruelty  which  M.  Bris¬ 
son  witnessed,  during  the  whole  period  he  remained 
in  the  territories  of  these  barbarous  tribes.  They 
present  to  our  view  so  many  pictures  of  abominable 
selfishness ,  and  even  of  pure  malevolence.  And  it  is 
a  most  melancholy  reflection,  that  numerous  tribes  of 
a  similar  description  are  spread  over  a  very  large 
portion  of  the  habitable  world.  It  makes  one  feel 
degraded,  when  he  reflects  that  he  is  related  by  the 
ties  of  a  common  nature,  to  beings  possessing  a  char¬ 
acter  so  malignant  and  depraved. 

I  shall  select  only  another  example,  illustrative  of 
this  topic,  extracted  from  the  Travels  of  Mr.  Park. 
This  enterprising  traveller  prosecuted  a  journey  of 
many  hundred  miles  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  for 
the  most  part  on  foot  and  alone.  Sometimes  his 
way  lay  over  a  burning  sandy  wilderness,  where  he 
found  little  to  alleviate  either  his  hunger  or  his 
thirst ;  and  sometimes  he  travelled  among  woods  and 
thickets,  and  across  rivers  and  marshes,  exposed  to 


476 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


wild  beasts,  and  without  any  path  to  guide  him. 
Though  the  Negroes  of  that  country  frequently  re¬ 
lieved  his  wants  and  distresses,  yet  the  Moors  used 
him  with  great  cruelty  and  inhumanity,  so  that  he 
hardly  escaped  with  life.  The  chiefs,  through  whose 
territories  he  passed,  generally  exacted  a  tribute  from 
him,  so  long  as  he  had  any  thing  to  give  ;  and,  under 
that  plea,  they  often  robbed  him  of  all  the  articles 
which  he  had  it  not  in  his  power  to  conceal.  When 
he  passed  through  the  town  of  Deena,  the  Moors 
insulted  him  in  every  form  which  malignity  could 
invent.  A  crowd  of  them  surrounded  the  hut  in 
which  he  lodged,  and,  besides  hissing  and  shouting, 
uttered  much  abusive  language.  Their  aim  seemed 
to  be  to  provoke  Park  to  make  retaliation,  that  they 
might  have  some  pretence  to  proceed  to  greater  out¬ 
rages  and  to  rob  him  of  his  property.  Suspecting 
their  intentions,  he  bore  all  with  the  greatest  patience; 
and,  though  they  even  spit  in  his  face,  he  showed 
no  marks  of  resentment.  Disappointed  in  their  aim, 
they  had  recourse  to  an  argument  common  among 
the  Mahometans,  to  convince  themselves  that  they 
had  a  right  to  whatever  the  stranger  might  have  in 
his  possession.  He  was  a  Christian.  They  opened 
his  bundles,  and  took  whatever  they  thought  might 
be  of  use,  and  whatever  suited  their  fancy. 

Having  been  kept  for  some  time  in  captivity  by  a 
Moorish  tribe,  they  not  only  robbed  him  of  the  few 
articles  which  were  still  in  his  possession,  but  insulted 
and  oppressed  him  with  the  most  wanton  cruelty. 
The  day  was  passed  in  hunger  and  thirst;  to  hunger 
and  thirst  were  added  the  malignant  insults  of  the 
Moors,  of  whom  many  visited  him  whose  only  busi- 


INHUMANITY  TOWARDS  TRAVELLERS.  477 


ness  seemed  to  be  to  torment  him.  He  always  saw 
the  approach  of  the  evening  with  pleasure;  it  ter¬ 
minated  another  day  of  his  miserable  existence,  and 
removed  from  him  his  troublesome  visitants.  A 
scanty  allowance  of  kouskous,*  and  of  salt  and  water, 
was  brought  him  generally  about  midnight.  This 
scanty  allowance  was  all  that  he  and  his  two  attend¬ 
ants  were  to  expect  during  the  whole  of  the  ensuing 
day.  “  I  was  a  stranger,”  says  he,  “  I  was  unpro¬ 
tected,  and  I  was  a  Christian ;  each  of  these  circum¬ 
stances  is  sufficient  to  drive  every  spark  of  humanity 
from  the  heart  of  a  Moor.  Anxious,  however,  to 
conciliate  favour,  and,  if  possible,  to  afford  the  Moors 
no  pretence  for  ill-treating  me,  I  readily  complied 
with  every  command,  and  patiently  bore  every  insult. 
But  never  did  any  period  of  my  life  pass  away  so 
heavily.  From  sunrise  to  sunset  was  I  obliged  to 
bear,  with  an  unruffled  countenance,  the  insults  of 
the  rudest  savages  upon  earth.”  Having  at  length 
made  his  escape  from  these  barbarians,  he  declares, 
“  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  joy  that  arose  in  my 
mind,  when  I  looked  around,  and  concluded  that  I 
was  out  of  danger.  I  felt  like  one  recovered  from 
sickness.  I  breathed  freer;  I  found  unusual  light¬ 
ness  in  my  limbs;  even  the  desert  looked  pleasant; 
and  I  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as  falling  in  with 
some  wandering  parties  of  the  Moors,  who  might 
convey  me  back  to  the  land  of  thieves  and  murderers 
from  which  I  had  just  escaped.” — While  our  dis¬ 
consolate  traveller,  after  his  escape,  was  wandering  in 
an  unknown  desert,  fainting  with  hunger  and  parched 


A  species  of  food  somewhat  resembling  Scotch  porridge. 


478 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


with  thirst,  surrounded  with  pitchy  darkness,  which 
was  only  relieved  hy  the  flashes  of  the  lightnings — 
where  no  sounds  were  heard  but  the  howlings  of  wild 
beasts  and  the  rolling  thunders — c<  About  two  in  the 

o 

morning,”  says  he,  “ my  horse  started  at  something; 
and,  looking  round,  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  see 
a  light  at  a  short  distance  among  the  trees;  and, 
supposing  it  to  he  a  town,  I  groped  along  the  sand, 
in  hopes  of  finding  corn-stalks,  cotton,  or  other  ap¬ 
pearances  of  cultivation,  but  found  none.  As  I  ap¬ 
proached,  I  perceived  a  number  of  lights  in  other 
places ;  and,  leading  my  horse  cautiously  towards  the 
light,  I  heard,  by  the  lowing  of  the  cattle,  and  the 
clamorous  tongues  of  the  herdsmen,  that  it  was  a  wa¬ 
tering-place,  and  most  likely  belonged  to  the  Moors. 
Delightful  as  the  sound  of  the  human  voice  was  to 
me,  I  resolved  once  more  to  strike  into  the  woods, 
and  rather  run  the  risk  of  perishing  with  hunger, 
than  trust  myself  again  into  their  hands.” — It  is  a 
most  affecting  consideration,  and  shows  to  what  a  de¬ 
gree  of  malignity  human  beings  have  arrived,  when 
a  hungry,  houseless,  and  benighted  traveller,  prefers 
to  flee  for  protection  to  the  haunts  of  the  beasts  of 
prey,  rather  than  commit  himself  to  the  tender  mer¬ 
cies  of  those  who  are  partakers  of  the  same  common 
nature,  and  who  have  it  in  their  power  to  alleviate 
his  distresses. 

Mr.  Park,  when  among  the  Moors,  was  forced  to 
pass  many  days  almost  without  drink,  under  a  burn¬ 
ing  climate,  where,  to  a  European,  the  heat  is  almost 
insufferable.  His  raging  thirst  induced  him  to  run 
every  risk,  and  to  burst  through  every  restraint. 
He  sent  his  boy  to  the  wells  to  fill  the  skin  which 


INHUMANITY  TOWARDS  TRAVELLERS.  479 


he  had  for  holding  water ;  but  the  Moors  were  ex¬ 
asperated  that  a  Christian  should  presume  to  fill  his 
vessel  at  wells  consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  followers 
of  Mahomet.  Instead,  therefore,  of  permitting  the 
boy  to  carry  away  water,  they  gave  him  many  severe 
blows  ;  and  this  mode  of  treatment  was  repeated  as 
often  as  an  attempt  was  made. — On  another  occa¬ 
sion,  when  awaking  from  a  dream,  in  which,  during 
his  broken  slumbers,  his  fancy  had  transported  him 
to  his  native  country,  and  placed  him  on  the  verdant 
brink  of  a  transparent  rivulet ;  and  perceiving  that 
his  raging  thirst  had  exposed  him  to  a  kind  of  fever, 
he  resolved  to  expose  himself  to  the  insults  of  the 
Moors  at  the  wells,  in  hopes  that  he  might  procure 
a  small  supply.  When  he  arrived  at  them  he  found 
the  Moors  drawing  water.  He  desired  permission 
to  drink,  but  was  driven  from  well  to  well  with  reit¬ 
erated  outrage.  At  length  he  found  one  well  where 
only  an  old  man  and  two  boys  drew  for  their  cattle. 
He  earnestly  begged  a  small  quantity.  The  old 
man  drew  the  bucket  from  the  well,  and  held  it  out. 
Park  was  about  eagerly  to  seize  it,  when  the  Moor, 
recollecting  that  the  stranger  was  a  Christian,  in¬ 
stantly  threw  the  water  into  the  trough,  where  the 
cows  were  already  drinking,  and  told  Park  to  drink 
thence.  He  hesitated  not  for  a  moment.  His  suf¬ 
ferings  made  even  this  offer  acceptable.  He  thrust 
his  head  between  those  of  two  cows,  and,  with  feel¬ 
ings  of  pleasure  which  can  be  experienced  only  by 
those  who  have  been  reduced  to  a  similar  state  of 
wretchedness,  he  continued  to  quench  his  thirst  till 
the  water  was  exhausted,  and  “  till  the  cows  began 
to  contend  with  each  other  for  the  last  mouthful.” 


480 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


In  this  instance,  vve  can  partly  account  for  the  bar¬ 
barity  of  the  action,  from  the  inveterate  prejudices 
which  all  Mahometans  entertain  against  Christians; 
but  it  still  remains  to  be  accounted  for,  why  any  one 
should  refuse  a  suffering:  fellow- creature  the  common 
bounties  of  Providence,  which  he  has  in  his,powrer  to 
bestow,  however  different  he  may  be  in  complexion, 
in  national  character,  or  in  the  religion  he  professes. 
A  religion  which  encourages  such  prejudices,  and 
which  leads  to  such  inhumanity,  must  be  an  abomi¬ 
nation  in  the  sight  of  Him  who  has  a  special  regard 
to  the  wants  of  all  his  creatures,  and  who  “  sendeth 
rain  to  refresh  the  fields  of  the  just  and  of  the  un¬ 
just”  The  prevalence  of  such  dispositions  over  so 
large  a  portion  of  the  world,  shows  that  the  moral 
constitution  of  man  has  suffered  a  sad  derangement 
since  the  period  when  he  proceeded,  as  a  pure  intel¬ 
ligence,  from  the  hands  of  his  Creator. 

Such  incidents  as  those  to  which  I  have  now  ad¬ 
verted,  when  properly  considered,  are  calculated  to 
inspire  us  with  contentment,  and  to  excite  to  grati¬ 
tude  for  the  common  blessings  which  we  enjoy  with¬ 
out  the  least  fear  of  danger  or  annoyance.  How 
often  do  we  enjoy  the  refreshment  of  a  delicious 
beverage,  without  thinking  of  the  parched  tongues 
of  the  African  pilgrims  !  and  how  often  do  we  spurn 
at  a  wholesome  dish,  which  would  be  hailed  with 
transports  of  gratitude  by  the  houseless  and  hungry 
wanderer  of  the  desert !  Yea,  how  many  are  there, 
who  enjoy  in  abundance  all  the  blessings  which  na¬ 
ture  and  art  can  furnish,  who  never  once  acknowledge 
the  goodness  of  Him  “  who  daily  loads  them  with 
his  benefits,”  nor  reflect  on  the  sufferings  of  their 


INHUMANITY  TOWARDS  TRAVELLERS.  48! 


fellow-men  !  Mr.  Park,  when  oppressed  with  hun¬ 
ger  and  fatigue,  applied  at  the  chief  magistrate’s 
house,  in  a  village  named  Shrilla,  for  some  relief,  but 
was  denied  admittance.  He  passed  slowly  through 
the  village  till  he  came  without  the  walls,  where  he 
saw  an  old  motherly- looking  woman  at  the  door  of  a 
mean  hut.  She  set  before  him  a  dish  of  boiled 
corn,  that  had  been  left  the  preceding  night,  on  which 
he  made  a  tolerable  meal.  “  Overcome  with  joy,”  says 
Park,  “  at  so  unexpected  a  deliverance,  I  lifted  up 
my  eyes  to  heaven ;  and,  while  my  heart  swelled  with 
gratitude,  I  returned  thanks  to  that  gracious  and 
bountiful  Being,  whose  power  had  supported  me  un¬ 
der  so  many  dangers,  and  had  now  spread  for  me  a 
table  in  the  wilderness.” 

When  Mr.  Park  was  returning  from  the  interior 
of  Africa,  he  was  encountered  by  a  party  of  armed 
negroes,  who  led  him  into  a  dark  place  of  the  forest 
through  which  he  was  passing,  and  stripped  him  en¬ 
tirely  naked,  taking  from  him  every  thing  which  he 
possessed,  except  an  old  shirt  and  a  pair  of  trousers. 
He  begged  them  to  return  his  pocket  compass ;  but, 
instead  of  complying  with  his  request,  one  of  them 
assured  him,  that  if  he  attempted  to  touch  that,  or 
any  other  article,  he  would  immediately  shoot  him 
dead  on  the  spot.  Pie  was  thus  left  in  the  midst  of 
a  vast  wilderness,  in  the  depth  of  the  rainy  season, 
naked  and  alone,  without  food,  and  without  the  means 
of  procuring  it ;  surrounded  by  savage  animals,  and 
by  men  still  more  savage,  and  500  miles  from  the 
nearest  European  settlement.  “  All  these  circum¬ 
stances,”  says  this  intrepid  traveller,  “  crowded  at 
once  on  my  recollection ;  and,  I  confess,  my  spirits  be- 
d.  2.  x 


482 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


gan  to  fail  me.  I  considered  that  I  had  no  other  alter¬ 
native  but  to  lie  down  and  die.  The  influence  of 
religion,  however,  aided  and  supported  me.  At  this 
moment,  painful  as  my  reflections  were,  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  beauty  of  a  small  moss  irresistibly  caught  my 
eye.  Can  that  Being,  thought  I,  who  planted,  wa¬ 
tered,  and  brought  to  perfection,  in  this  obscure  part 
of  the  world,  a  thing  which  appears  of  so  small  im¬ 
portance,  look  with  unconcern  on  the  situation  and 
sufferings  of  creatures  formed  after  his  image?  Surely 
not.  Reflections  like  these  would  not  allow  me  to 
despair.  I  started  up,  and,  disregarding  both  hun¬ 
ger  and  fatigue,  travelled  forwards,  assured  that  relief 
was  at  hand,  and  I  was  not  disappointed.”  Thus 
was  this  unfortunate  adventurer  delivered,  by  the 
care  of  Providence,  from  those  accumulated  distresses 
which  had  been  brought  upon  him  by  the  malignity 
of  man. 

Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  inhumanity  dis¬ 
played  by  uncivilized  tribes  towards  strangers,  and 
unfortunate  voyagers  and  travellers.  They  exhibit 
dispositions  directly  repugnant  to  every  principle  of 
benevolence,  and  present  to  our  view  a  gloomy  pro¬ 
spect  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers  to  be  surmounted 
by  philanthropic  missionaries,  before  the  habitable 
world  can  be  thoroughly  explored,  and  before  the 
blessings  of  civilization  and  religion  can  be  com¬ 
municated  to  the  benighted  tribes  of  mankind. 


DISFIGURING  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY.  483 


MALEVOLENT  DISPOSITIONS,  AS  DISPLAYED  IN 
DISFIGURING  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 

The  human  frame,  when  preserved  in  its  original 
state,  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  mechanism  which 
the  mind  can  contemplate.  In  beauty,  in  symmetry, 
in  the  harmony  and  proportion  of  all  its  parts  and 
functions,  it  is  superior  to  the  organical  structures 
of  all  the  other  ranks  of  sensitive  existence.  There 
is  no  part  imperfect  or  deformed,  no  part  defective, 
and  no  part  useless  or  redundant.  All  its  members 
are  so  constructed  and  arranged  as  to  contribute  to 
the  beauty  and  perfection  of  the  whole,  and  to  the 
happiness  of  the  intelligent  mind  by  which  it  is 
governed  and  directed.  In  combination  with  the 
power  of  thought  and  volition,  and  when  unstained 
by  malignant  passions,  it  is  a  visible  representative 
of  the  Creator,  having  been  formed  after  his  image ; 
and  it  displays,  in  a  most  striking  manner,  the  wis¬ 
dom  and  goodness  of  its  Almighty  Maker.  But, 
notwithstanding  the  acknowledged  excellence  of  the 
human  frame,  it  has  been  the  practice  of  the  de¬ 
graded  tribes  of  mankind,  in  almost  every  country, 
and  in  every  age,  to  disfigure  its  structure,  and  to 
deface  its  beauty  ;  as  if  the  Creator,  when  he  formed 
it,  had  been  deficient  in  intelligence  and  in  benevo¬ 
lent  design.  Such  practices,  I  am  disposed  to  think, 
imply  a  principle  of  malevolence  directed  towards  the 
Creator,  and  a  disposition  to  find  fault  with  his  wise 
contrivances  and  arrangements.  At  any  rate,  they 
display  a  degree  of  ignorance  and  folly,  a  vitiated 
taste,  and  a  degradation  of  mind,  inconsistent  with 

x  2 


484 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  dignity  of  a  rational  intelligence. — The  follow¬ 
ing  facts  will  tend  to  illustrate  these  remarks  : — 
Condamine,  when  describing  the  natives  of  South 
America,  informs  us,  that  the  Omaguas,  and  some 
other  savages,  flatten  the  faces  of  their  children,  by 
lacing  their  heads  between  two  boards ;  that  others 
pierce  the  nostrils,  lips,  or  cheeks,  and  place  in  them 
feathers,  the  bones  of  fishes,  and  similar  ornaments  ; 
and  that  the  savages  of  Brazil  pull  the  hair  out 
of  their  beards,  their  eyebrows,  and  all  parts  of  their 
bodies,  which  makes  them  have  an  uncommon  and 
a  ferocious  appearance.  Their  under  lip  they  pierce, 
and,  as  an  ornament,  insert  into  it  a  green  stone,  or 
a  small  polished  bone.  Immediately  after  birth  the 
mothers  flatten  the  noses  of  their  children.  The 
whole  of  them  go  absolutely  naked,  and  paint  their 
bodies  of  different  colours. — Captain  Cook  informs 
us,  that,  in  New  Zealand,  both  sexes  mark  their 
faces  and  bodies  with  black  stains,  similar  to  the 
tattooing  in  Otaheite.  The  men  particularly  add 
new  stains  every  year,  so  that,  in  an  advanced  period 
of  life,  they  are  almost  covered  from  head  to  foot. 
Besides  this,  they  have  marks  impressed,  by  a  me¬ 
thod  unknown  to  us,  of  a  very  extraordinary  kind. 
They  are  furrows  of  about  a  line  deep,  and  a  line 
broad,  such  as  appear  upon  the  bark  of  a  tree  which 
has  been  cut  through  after  a  year’s  growth.  The 
edges  of  these  furrows  are  afterwards  indented  by  the 
same  method,  and,  being  perfectly  black,  they  make 
a  most  frightful  appearance.  Both  sexes  bore  their 
ears  :  they  gradually  stretch  the  holes  till  they  are 
so  large  as  to  admit  a  finger.  Into  these  holes  they 
put  feathers,  coloured  cloth,  bones  of  birds,  twigs  of 


DISFIGURING  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY.  485 


wood,  and  frequently  the  nails  which  they  received 
from  the  ships. — The  same  voyager,  when  describ¬ 
ing  the  New  Hollanders,  tells  us, — “  Their  chief 
ornament  is  a  bone,  which  is  thrust  through  a  hole 
bored  in  the  cartilage  which  divides  the  nostrils.  This 
bone  is  as  tbick  as  a  man’s  finger,  and  six  inches  in 
length.  It  reaches  quite  across  the  face,  and  so 
effectually  stops  up  both  nostrils,  that  they  are  forced 
to  keep  their  mouth  wide  open  for  breath,  and  snuffle 
so  when  they  attempt  to  speak,  that  they  are  scarcely 
intelligible  to  each  other.  Our  seamen,  with  some 
humour,  called  it  their  sprit  sail  yard  ;  and  indeed 
it  had  so  ludicrous  an  appearance,  that,  till  we  were 
used  to  it,  we  found  it  difficult  to  restrain  from 
laughter.”  He  also  describes  a  custom  of  a  pecu¬ 
liar  nature  which  prevails  in  the  Friendly  Islands  : 
“  The  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants,  both  male  and 
female,  were  observed  to  have  lost  one  or  both  of 
their  little  fingers.  This  custom  seemed  not  to  be 
characteristic  of  rank,  of  age,  or  of  sex;  for,  with  the 
exception  of  some  young  children,  very  few  people 
were  discovered  in  whom  both  hands  were  perfect. 
They  likewise  burn  or  make  incisions  in  their  cheeks.” 

All  the  eastern  nations  are  said  to  have  a  predilec¬ 
tion  for  long  ears.  Some  draw  the  lobe  of  the  ear, 
in  order  to  stretch  it  to  a  greater  length,  and  pierce 
it  so  as  to  allow  the  admission  of  an  ordinary  pen¬ 
dant.  The  natives  of  Laos  so  prodigiously  widen 
the  holes  in  their  ears,  that  a  man’s  hand  may  be 
thrust  through  them.  Hence,  the  ears  of  these 
people  often  descend  to  the  tops  of  their  shoulders.* 


* 


Smellie’s  Philosophy  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  ii. 


48G 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Gentil  assures  us,  that  the  women,  in  the  northern 
parts  of  China,  employ  every  art  in  order  to  diminish 
their  eyes.  For  this  purpose,  the  girls,  instructed 
by  their  mothers,  extend  their  eyelids  continually, 
with  the  view  of  making  their  eyes  oblong  and  small. 
These  properties,  in  the  estimation  of  the  Chinese, 
when  joined  to  a  flat  nose,  and  large,  open,  pendu¬ 
lous  ears,  constitute  the  perfection  of  beauty. — We 
are  informed  by  Struys,  that  the  women  of  Siam  wear 
so  large  and  heavy  pendants  in  their  ears,  that  the 
holes  gradually  become  wide  enough  to  admit  a 
man’s  thumb.  The  natives  of  New  Holland  pull 
out  the  two  fore-teeth  of  the  upper  jaw.  In  Cali¬ 
cut  there  is  a  band  of  nobles  called  Naires,  who 
lengthen  their  ears  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  hang 
down  to  their  shoulders,  and  sometimes  even  lower.* 
The  Arabs  paint  their  lips,  arms,  and  the  most  con¬ 
spicuous  parts  of  their  bodies,  with  a  deep  blue  colour. 
This  paint,  which  they  lay  on  in  little  dots,  and  make 
it  penetrate  the  flesh,  by  puncturing  the  skin  with 
needles,  can  never  be  effaced. — Some  of  the  Asiatics 
paint  their  eyebrows  of  a  black  colour,  and  others 
eradicate  the  hairs  with  rusma ,  and  paint  artificial 
eyebrows,  in  the  form  of  a  black  crescent,  which 
give  them  an  uncommon  and  ugly  appearance.  The 
inhabitants  of  Prince  William’s  Sound,  paint  their 
faces  and  hands,  bore  their  ears  and  noses,  and  slit 
their  upper  lips.  In  the  holes  made  in  their  noses, 
they  hang  pieces  of  bone,  which  are  often  two  or 
three  inches  long;  and,  in  the  slit  of  the  lip,  they 
place  a  bone  or  ivory  instrument  with  holes  in  it, 


« 


Smellie’s  Philosophy  of  Natural  History*  YTol.  ii» 


DISFIGURING  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 


487 


from  which  they  suspend  beads  that  reach  below  the 
chin.  These  holes  in  the  lip  disfigure  them  greatly, 
for  some  of  them  are  as  large  as  their  mouths.* 

Such  distortions  of  the  beautiful  structure  of  the 
human  frame,  are  not  peculiar  to  savage  tribes,  but 
are.  practised  by  nations  which  have  made  consider¬ 
able  advances  in  science  and  civilization.  It  is  well 
known  that,  in  China,  a  custom  prevails,  of  render¬ 
ing  the  feet  of  their  females  so  small,  that  they  can 
with  difficulty  support  their  bodies.  This  is  deemed 
a  principal  part  of  their  beauty;  and  no  swathing 
nor  compression  is  omitted,  when  they  are  young,  to 
give  them  this  fancied  accomplishment.  Every  wo¬ 
man  of  fashion,  and  every  woman  who  wishes  to  be 
reckoned  handsome,  must  have  her  feet  so  small,  that 
they  could  easily  enter  the  shoe  of  a  child  of  six 
years  of  age.  The  great  toe  is  the  only  one  left  to 
act  with  freedom;  the  rest  are  doubled  down  under 
the  foot,  in  their  tenderest  infancy,  and  restrained  by 
tight  bandages,  till  they  unite  with,  and  are  buried 
in  the  sole.  I  have  inspected  a  model  of  a  Chinese 
lady’s  foot,  exactly  of  this  description,  which,  I  was 
assured,  was  taken  from  life.  The  length  was  only 
two  inches  and  three- fourths  ;  the  breadth  of  the  base 
of  the  heel,  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  ;  the  breadth  of 
the  broadest  part  of  the  foot,  one  and  one-fourth 
inch  ;  and  the  diameter  of  the  ankle,  three  inches 
above  the  heel,  one  and  seven-eighths  of  an  inch. 
With  feet  of  this  description  the  Chinese  ladies  may 
be  said  rather  to  totter  than  to  walk ;  and,  by  such 
practices,  they  evidently  frustrate  the  benevolent  in- 


Portlock’s  Voyage  round  the  World. 


488 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tentions  of  the  Creator,  and  put  themselves  to  un¬ 
necessary  inconvenience  and  pain.  Yet  such  is  the 
powerful  influence  of  fashion,  however  absurd  and 
ridiculous,  that  women  of  the  middling  and  inferior 
classes  frequently  suffer  their  feet  to  be  thus  maimed 
and  distorted,  in  order  to  ape  the  unnatural  customs 
of  their  superiors. 

We  have  every  reason  to  believe,  that  the  harsh 
and  ugly  features,  and  the  ferocious  aspect  by  which 
numerous  tribes  of  mankind  are  distinguished,  are 
owing  to  such  voluntary  distortions  of  the  human 
frame,  and  to  the  filthy  and  abominable  practices  in 
which  they  indulge.  Father  Tertre  assures  us,  that 
the  flat  noses  of  the  negroes  are  occasioned  by  a  gene¬ 
ral  practice  of  mothers,  who  depress  the  noses  of  their 
new-born  infants,  and  squeeze  their  lips,  in  order  to 
thicken  them ;  and  that  those  children  who  escape 
these  operations  have  elevated  noses,  thin  lips,  and 
fine  features. — It  is  somewhat  unaccountable,  and  it 
shows  the  perversity  of  the  human  mind,  that  such 
practices  should  be  so  general,  and  so  obstinately 
persisted  in,  when  we  consider  the  pain  and  incon¬ 
venience  with  which  they  are  attended. — To  pull  the 
hairs  of  the  chin  or  eyebrows  from  the  roots;  to  slit 
the  under  lip,  till  the  incision  be  as  large  as  one’s 
mouth  ;  to  pierce  the  nostrils,  till  a  bone  as  large  as 
a  man’s  finger  can  be  thrust  through  them ;  and  to 
cover  the  body  with  black  streaks,  which  make  the 
blood  flow  at  every  stroke  of  the  instrument  by  which 
they  are  produced,  must  be  attended  with  excruciat¬ 
ing  pain.  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  accompanied 
Captain  Cook  in  his  first  voyage,  was  present  in 
Otaheite,  at  the  operation  of  tattooing,  performed 


DISFIGURING  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY.  489 


on  the  back  of  a  girl  of  thirteen  years  of  age.  The 
instrument  used  had  twenty  teeth ;  and  at  each 
stroke,  which  was  repeated  every  moment,  issued  an 
ichor  or  serum,  tinged  with  blood.  The  girl  bore 
the  pain  with  great  resolution,  for  some  minutes,  till 
at  length  it  became  so  intolerable,  that  she  burst  out 
into  violent  exclamations ;  but  the  operator,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  most  earnest  entreaties  to  desist,  was 
inexorable,  while  two  women,  who  attended  upon  the 
occasion,  both  chid  and  beat  her  for  struggling. 

I  am  therefore  disposed  to  view  such  absurd  and 
barbarous  practices,  as  intimately  connected  with  the 
operation  of  a  principle  of  malevolence,  as  an  attempt 
to  frustrate  the  wise  designs  of  divine  benevolence, 
and  as  directly  repugnant  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity, 
and  to  its  benevolent  precepts.  And  it  becomes 
some  of  the  ladies  and  dandies  of  modern  Europe  to 
consider,  whether  some  of  their  awkward  attempts  to 
improve  the  symmetry  of  the  human  frame  ought  not 
to  be  viewed  in  the  same  light.  Not  many  years 
ago,  it  was  considered,  in  the  higher  circles  of  so¬ 
ciety,  as  an  admirable  improvement  of  the  female 
form,  to  give  the  lower  half  of  the  body  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  frustrum  of  a  large  tun,  as  if  it  had  been 
ten  times  the  capacity  of  its  natural  size,  by  support¬ 
ing  their  robes  with  enormous  hoops; — and,  about 
the  same  period,  the  lower  ranks  of  female  society 
considered  it  as  the  perfection  of  beauty,  to  have 
their  waists  compressed  into  the  smallest  possible 
space,  till  the  vital  functions,  in  many  instances,  were 
deranged,  and  ultimately  destroyed.  Were  the 
dictates  of  sound  reason  universally  attended  to,  and 
were  the  influence  of  Christianity  felt  among  all  na- 

x  3 


190 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tions,  the  preposterous  practices  to  which  I  have  now 
adverted,  would  not  only  be  discontinued,  but  held 
in  abhorrence.  And  were  such  customs  completely 
abolished,  we  might  soon  expect  to  behold,  among 
all  the  tribes  of  mankind,  every  distortion  of  the  fea¬ 
tures  of  the  countenance  removed,  and  the  human 
form  restored  to  its  original  beauty  and  perfection. 
Instead  of  a  ferocious  aspect,  and  the  frightful  ap¬ 
pearance  of  naked  savages,  streaked  with  colours  of 
black  and  blue,  we  should  behold,  in  every  land, 
every  countenance  beaming  with  the  radiations  of 
benevolence,  and  reflecting  the  moral  image  of  the 
Creator. 

MALEVOLENCE  AS  IT  APPEARS  IN  THE  RELIGION 
OF  SAVAGE  TRIBES. 

There  is  scarcely  a  nation  on  the  face  of  the  globe 
but  what  appears  to  have  some  impressions  of  the 
existence  of  a  Superior  Power,  and  to  have  formed 
a  system  of  religious  worship.  But  it  is  a  striking 
fact,  that,  among  the  greater  portion  of  human  be¬ 
ings,  their  religious  notions,  and  their  sacred  rites, 
instead  of  breathing  a  spirit  of  benevolence  towards 
their  fellow-creatures,  are  blended  with  a  principle  of 
hatred  and  revenge.  This  might  be  illustrated  by 
an  induction  of  a  great  variety  of  instances,  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  almost  every  uncivilized  portion  of  the  hu¬ 
man  race.  I  shall  content  myself,  however,  with 
stating  only  one  instance,  in  reference  to  the  Nes- 
serie,  a  tribe  not  much  known  in  Europe,  and  which 
may  serve  as  an  example  of  many  others. 

The  territory  of  this  people  extends  from  Antioch 


MALEVOLENT  SYSTEMS  OF  RELIGION.  491 

nearly  to  Tripoli.  They  occupy  almost  all  the 
mountains  to  the  east  of  Latakia,  and  a  great  part  of 
the  plain.  Among  them  is  perceived  a  mixture  of 
the  religious  usages  of  Paganism,  of  the  Jewish  law, 
of  that  of  Mahomet  and  Ali,  and  of  some  dogmas 
of  the  Christian  Religion. — The  women  are  consi- 
dered  as  a  part  of  the  domestic  animals  of  the  house, 
and  treated  as  slaves.  They  have  no  idea  of  reli¬ 
gion,  and  when  they  are  bold  enough  to  inquire  of 
their  masters  concerning  it,  the  latter  answer  them, 
that  their  religion  is,  to  be  charged  with  the  repro¬ 
duction  of  the  species,  and  to  be  subject  to  the  will 
of  their  husbands. — The  Nesserie  say  their  prayers 
at  midnight,  and  before  sunset.  They  may  say 
them  either  sitting,  standing,  or  walking;  but  they 
are  obliged  to  begin  again  repeating  their  ablution, 
if  they  speak  to  a  person  not  of  their  religion, — if 
they  perceive,  either  near  or  at  a  distance,  a  camel, 
a  pig,  a  hare,  or  a  negro.  In  their  prayers,  they 
curse  the  man  who  shaves  below  the  chin,  him  who 
is  impotent,  and  the  two  Caliphs,  Omar  and  Abou- 
Bekr.  They  detest  the  Turks,  to  whom  they  are 
sworn  enemies.  This  warlike  people  of  mountain¬ 
eers  would  be  strong  enough  to  shake  off  the  yoke 
of  the  Turks,  and  live  independently,  if  they  were 
not  divided  by  interested  motives,  almost  all  occa¬ 
sioned  by  implacable  family  hatreds.  They  are  vin¬ 
dictive,  and  cherish  their  rancour  for  a  length  of 
time  :  even  the  death  of  the  guilty  person  cannot  as¬ 
suage  their  fury;  their  vengeance  is  incomplete,  if  it 
does  not  fall  besides  on  one  or  several  members  of 
his  family.  They  are  so  obstinately  superstitious  in 
their  attachment  to  their  peculiar  system,  that  no 


492 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


threats,  nor  punishments,  can  extort  from  them  the 
secrets  of  their  religion.* 

Here,  then,  we  are  presented  with  a  system  of 
Religion,  which  appears  to  be  founded  on  malevo¬ 
lence, — which  directs  its  devotees  to  curse  their  fel¬ 
low-men — which  leads  them  to  keep  their  women  in 
profound  ignorance  of  every  thing  which  they  hold 
sacred — which  induces  them  to  conceal  its  mysteries 
from  all  the  rest  of  the  world — and  which,  in  so  far 
from  producing  any  beneficial  effects  on  their  own 
conduct,  leads  to  “  implacable  family  hatreds.”  A 
religion,  unless  it  be  founded  on  a  principle  of  bene¬ 
volence,  is  unworthy  of  the  name ;  it  must  be  an  ab¬ 
horrence  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  can  never  commu¬ 
nicate  happiness  to  man.  And  were  we  to  examine 
the  various  religious  systems  which  prevail  in  the 
numerous  islands  of  the  Indian  and  Pacific  oceans,  in 
Cabul,  Tibet,  and  Hindostan,  and  among  the  unci¬ 
vilized  tribes  which  are  scattered  over  a  large  portion 
of  Asia  and  of  Africa,  we  should  find  them,  not  only 
blended  with  malevolent  principles  and  maxims,  but 
sanctioning  the  perpetration  of  deeds  of  cruelty,  ob¬ 
scenity,  and  horror. 


In  the  preceding  pages,  I  have  endeavoured  to 
illustrate  some  of  the  prominent  features  in  the  moral 
character  of  the  uncivilized  tribes  of  the  human  race. 
The  examples  I  have  selected  have  not  been  taken 
from  the  records  of  Missionaries,  or  of  professed 
Religionists,  who  might  be  suspected,  by  some,  to 


*  See  Dupont’s  Memoirs  of  the  Manners  and  Religious  Cere¬ 
monies  of  the  Nesserie, — a  work  lately  published. 


REFLECTIONS. 


493 


give  an  exaggerated  description  of  the  depravity  of 
the  Pagan  world — but  from  the  unvarnished  state- 
ments  of  respectable  voyagers  and  travellers,  who 
could  have  no  motives  for  misrepresenting  the  facts 
they  have  recorded.  These  illustrations  might  have 
been  extended  to  a  much  greater  length,  had  it  been 
consistent  with  the  limited  nature  of  the  present 
work.  Instead  of  occupying  only  forty  or  fifty  pages, 
they  might  have  been  extended  so  as  to  have  filled  as 
many  volumes  ;  for  every  book  of  travels,  as  well  as 
every  historical  document,  contains  a  record  of  the 
operations  of  malignity,  and  of  the  diversified  modes 
in  which  human  depravity  is  displayed.  The  dispo¬ 
sitions  which  I  have  illustrated,  it  will  be  readily  ad¬ 
mitted,  are  all  of  a  malignant  character,  directly  re¬ 
pugnant  to  that  benevolent  principle  which  forms 
the  basis  of  the  moral  laws  of  the  universe.  And 
when  we  consider,  that  such  malevolent  dispositions 
are  displayed  by  a  mass  of  human  beings,  amounting 
to  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  population  of  the 
globe,  and  that  true  happiness  cannot  be  experienced 
where  malignant  passions  reign  uncontrolled,  a  be¬ 
nevolent  mind  cannot  refrain  from  indulging  a  thou¬ 
sand  melancholy  reflections,  when  it  casts  its  eye 
over  the  desolations  of  the  moral  world,  and  from 
forming  an  anxious  wish,  that  the  period  may  soon 
arrive  when  the  darkness  which  covers  the  nations 
shall  be  dispelled,  and  when  benevolence  and  peace 
shall  reign  triumphant  over  all  the  earth. 

I  shall  now  present  a  few  facts  and  sketches  which 
may  have  a  tendency  to  illustrate  the  moral  character 
and  aspect  of  the  civilized  world. 


494 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SECTION  III. 

Moral  State  of  Civilized  Nations  in  Modern  times. 

The  present  population  of  the  globe  may  be  esti¬ 
mated  at  about  800  millions.  Of  these,  if  we  ex¬ 
cept  the  empires  of  China  and  Hindostan,  we  can¬ 
not  reckon  above  180  millions  as  existing  in  a  state 
of  enlightened  civilization ;  a  number  which  is  less 
than  the  fourth  part  of  the  human  race.  Were 
even  this  small  portion  of  mankind  uniformly  distin¬ 
guished  for  intelligence,  and  for  the  practice  of  be¬ 
nevolence,  it  would  form  a  glorious  picture  for  the 
philanthropist  to  contemplate ;  and  would  be  a  sure 
prelude  of  the  near  approach  of  that  happy  era,  when 
“  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  remember  and  turn 
to  the  Lord,,  when  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations 
shall  do  homage  unto  him,  and  when  there  shall  be 
nothing  to  hurt  nor  destroy”  among  all  the  families 
of  mankind.  But,  alas  !  when  we  investigate  the 
moral  state  even  of  this  portion  of  human  beings,  we 
find  the  principle  of  malignity  distinctly  visible  in  its 
operations,  and  interwoven,  in  numerous  and  minute 
ramifications,  through  all  the  ranks  and  gradations 
of  society.  Though  its  shades  are  less  dark  and 
gloomy,  they  are  no  less  real  than  among  the  hordes 
of  Africa  and  Tartary,  and  the  other  abodes  of  savage 
life.  To  illustrate  this  position  is  the  object  of  the 
following  sketches ;  in  which  I  shall  chiefly  refer  to 
the  state  of  society  among  the  nations  of  Europe, 
and  the  United  States  of  America,  and  particularly 
to  the  moral  aspect  of  the  British  empire. 


MORAL  STATE  OF  CIVILIZED  NATIONS.  495 


I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  consider  the  operation 
of  the  malevolent  principle  as  it  appears  in  the  ac¬ 
tions  and  dispositions  of  the  young,  and  in  the  modes 
of  tuition  by  which  they  are  trained. 

In  many  thousands  of  instances  it  may  be  ob¬ 
served,  that,  even  before  a  child  has  been  weaned 
from  its  mother’s  breasts,  malignant  dispositions  are 
not  only  fostered,  but  are  regularly  taught  both  by 
precept  and  example.  Does  a  child  happen  to  hit 
its  head  accidentally  against  the  corner  of  a  table — 
it  is  taught  by  its  nurse,  and  even  by  its  mother,  to 
avenge  the  injury  on  the  inanimate  object  which 
caused  it,  and  to  exhibit  its  prowess  and  revenge 
by  beating  the  table  with  all  its  might.  Does  it 
cry  through  peevishness  or  pain — it  is  immediately 
threatened  with  being  thrown  into  a  ditch,  tossed 
out  of  a  window,  or  committed  to  the  charge  of  some 
frightful  spectre.  Is  it  expedient  to  repress  its 
murmurings,  and  to  cajole  it  into  obedience — it  is 
then  inspired  with  fallacious  hopes,  and  allured  with 
deceitful  promises  of  objects  and  of  pleasures  which 
are  never  intended  to  be  realized.  Does  it  require 
to  have  its  physical  powers  exercised — a  wooden 
sword  or  a  whip  is  put  into  its  hands ;  and  it  is  en¬ 
couraged  to  display  its  energies  in  inflicting  strokes 
on  a  dog,  a  cat,  or  any  of  its  play-fellows  or  com¬ 
panions.  I  have  seen  a  little  urchin  of  this  descrip¬ 
tion,  three  or  four  years  of  age,  brandishing  its 
wooden  sword  with  all  the  ardour  of  a  warrior,  and 
repeating  its  strokes  on  every  person  around,  while 
the  foolish  parents  were  exulting  in  the  prowess  dis¬ 
played  by  their  little  darling,  and  encouraging  it  in 
all  its  movements.  By  these  and  similar  practices, 


496 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


revenge,  falsehood,  superstition,  and  the  elements  of 
war,  are  fostered  in  the  youthful  mind ;  and  is  it  to 
be  wondered  at,  that  such  malignant  principles  and 
passions  should  “  grow  with  their  growth,  and 
strengthen  with  their  strength,”  till  they  burst  forth 
in  all  those  hideous  forms  which  they  assume  amidst 
the  contests  of  communities  and  of  nations?  The 
false  maxims  by  which  children  are  frequently  trained 
under  the  domestic  roof,  and  the  foolish  indulgence 
with  which  they  are  treated  by  injudicious  parents, 
in  too  many  instances,  lay  the  foundation  of  those 
petulant  and  malignant  tempers,  which  are  a  pest 
both  to  Christian  and  to  general  society.  Indul¬ 
gence  often  leads  to  another  extreme  ;  and  produces 
such  a  degree  of  insubordination  among  the  young, 
that  nothing  is  to  be  seen  and  heard  but  a  perpetual 
round  of  scolding  and  beating,  and  the  contest  of 
angry  passions.  “  Among  the  lower  ranks  of  peo¬ 
ple,”  says  Dr.  Witherspoon,  “  who  are  under  no 
restraint  from  decency,  you  may  sometimes  see  a  fa¬ 
ther  or  mother  running  out  into  the  street,  after  a 
child  who  has  fled  from  them,  with  looks  of  fury 
and  words  of  execration ;  and  they  are  often  stupid 
enough  to  imagine,  that  neighbours  or  passengers 
will  approve  them  in  this  conduct.”  Wherever 
parental  authority  is  thus  undermined,  and  such  con¬ 
duct  uniformly  pursued,  a  sure  foundation  is  laid  for 
an  extensive  display,  in  after  life,  of  the  malignant 
passions  of  the  human  heart. 

If  we  follow  our  youth  from  the  nursery  to  the 
school-room ,  we  shall  find  the  same  malevolent  affec¬ 
tions  developing  themselves  on  a  larger  scale,  and 
indirectly  cherished  by  the  books  they  read,  the 


MORAL  STATE  OF  CIVILIZED  NATIONS.  497 


discipline  by  which  they  are  trained,  and  the  amuse¬ 
ments  in  which  they  indulge.  Here  we  may  behold 
one  little  fellow  taking  a  malicious  pleasure  in  pinch¬ 
ing  his  neighbour,  another  in  kicking  him,  a  third 
in  boxing  him,  a  fourth  in  tearing  his  book,  a  fifth 
in  pilfering  his  property,  and  a  sixth  in  endeavouring 
to  hold  him  up  to  scorn  and  ridicule  ;  and  all  of  them 
combined  to  frustrate,  if  possible,  the  exertions  of 
their  teacher,  and  to  prevent  their  own  improvement. 
If  we  look  into  the  majority  of  the  books  which  are 
read  in  schools,  we  shall  find  them  full  of  encomi¬ 
ums  upon  war ,  and  upon  ivarriors.  The  Cesars, 
the  Alexanders,  and  the  Buonapartes,  whose  restless 
ambition  has  transformed  the  earth  into  scenes  of 
desolation  and  carnage,  are  represented  as  patterns 
of  every  thing  that  is  brave,  noble,  generous,  and 
heroic.  The  descriptive  powers  of  the  poet  are  also 
called  in,  in  order  to  inflame  the  youthful  mind  with 
warlike  dispositions,  and  to  excite  an  ardent  desire 
for  mingling  in  scenes  of  contention,  and  for  the  ac¬ 
quisition  of  false  glory  and  military  renown.  Hence, 
there  is  no  part  of  their  school-exercises  in  which 
the  young  so  much  delight,  and  in  which  they  so 
much  excel,  as  in  that,  in  which  they  are  called  upon 
to  recite  such  pieces  as  “  Sempronius’s  speech  for 
war,”  or  to  ape  the  revengeful  encounter  of  Norvai 
and  Glenalvon.  While  the  spirit  of  war  is  thus 
virtually  cherished,  the  counteraction  of  vicious  pro¬ 
pensities,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  moral  powers  of 
the  young,  are  considered  as  a  matter  of  inferior  im¬ 
portance,  and,  in  many  seminaries  of  instruction,  are 
altogether  overlooked.  Many  of  the  school-collec¬ 
tions  to  which  I  allude,  instead  of  exhibiting,  in 


498 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


simple  language,  the  beauties  and  sublimities  of  the 
works  of  nature,  the  displays  of  the  natural  and  mo¬ 
ral  character  of  the  Deity,  the  facts  of  Sacred  His¬ 
tory,  the  morality  of  the  Gospel,  the  scenes  of  rural 
and  domestic  life,  and  the  operations  of  philanthropy, 
are  filled  with  extracts  from  metaphysical  writers, 
from  parliamentary  debates,  and  from  old  plays,  no¬ 
vels,  and  farces,  which  are  frequently  interlarded  with 
oaths,  obscenity,  and  the  slang  of  Billingsgate,  which 
can  have  no  other  tendency  than  to  pollute  and  de¬ 
moralize  the  youthful  mind.  It  needs  therefore  ex¬ 
cite  no  surprise,  that  the  great  body  of  mankind  is 
still  so  deficient  in  rational  information  and  substan¬ 
tial  knowledge,  and  that  a  warlike  spirit  is  still  afloat, 
and  exerting  its  baleful  influence  among  the  nations. 

If  we  follow  the  young  from  the  school-room  to 
the  play-ground,  or  to  the  streets  and  highways,  we 
shall  find  the  spirit  of  malignity  displaying  itself  in 
a  vast  diversity  of  forms.  Here ,  we  may  behold  one 
mischievous  little  boy  slapping  his  neighbour  in  the 
face,  another  tearing  his  clothes,  another  tossing  his 
cap  into  a  dirty  ditch,  another  chalking  his  back  in 
order  to  hold  him  up  to  ridicule,  and  another  pour¬ 
ing  upon  him  a  torrent  of  nicknames,  and  of  scur¬ 
rilous  epithets.  There ,  we  may  behold  a  crowd  of 
boys  pelting  a  poor  beggar  or  an  unfortunate  maniac 
with  stones  and  dirt,  for  their  diversion;  mocking  the 
lame,  the  deformed,  and  the  aged,  and  insulting  the 
passing  traveller.  And,  when  such  objects  do  not 
happen  to  occur,  we  may  see  them  assailing,  with  a 
shower  of  stones,  a  cat,  a  dog,  a  hare,  or  a  fowl,  that 
happens  to  cross  the  path,  and  enjoying  a  diabolical 
pleasure  in  witnessing  the  sufferings  of  these  unfor- 


MORAL  STATE  OF  CIVILIZED  NATIONS.  499 


tunate  animals.  Here ,  we  may  behold  an  insolent 
boy  insulting  a  timid  girl,  overturning  her  pitcher, 
and  besmearing  her  with  mire; — there  we  behold 
another  saluting  his  fellow  with  a  malignant  scowl, 
and  a  third  brandishing  his  whip,  and  lashing  a  horse 
or  a  sow,  for  his  amusement.  On  the  one  hand, 
we  may  sometimes  behold  a  ring  of  boys,  in  the 
centre  of  which  two  little  demons  are  engaged  in 
mutual  combat,  with  eyes  glaring  with  fury  and  re¬ 
venge,  exerting  their  physical  powers  to  the  utmost 
stretch,  in  order  to  lacerate,  and  cover  with  blood 
and  gore,  the  faces  of  each  other ;  on  the  other  hand, 
we  may  behold  an  unfortunate  boy,  whom  a  natural 
temperament,  or  a  virtuous  principle,  prevents  from 
engaging  in  similar  combats,  assailed  with  opprobri¬ 
ous  epithets,  and  made  a  laughing-stock,  and  an  ob¬ 
ject  of  derision  and  scorn,  because  he  will  not  be  per¬ 
suaded  to  declare  war  against  his  neighbour. — And, 
what  is  still  more  atrocious  and  disgusting,  we  may 
behold  children  of  thirty  or  forty  years  of  age  en¬ 
couraging  such  malevolent  dispositions,  and  stimulat¬ 
ing  such  combatants  in  their  diabolical  exertions  !  * 


*  The  practice  of  boxing,  among  boys,  which  so  generally  pre¬ 
vails,  especially  in  England,  is  a  disgrace  to  the  boasted  civiliza¬ 
tion  and  Christianity  of  that  country,  and  to  the  superintendents 
of  its  public  seminaries.  That  pugilistic  contests  between  grown¬ 
up  savages  in  a  civilized  shape,  should  be  publicly  advertised,  and 
described  in  our  newspapers,  and  the  arena  of  such  contests  re¬ 
sorted  to  by  so  many  thousands  of  the  middling  and  higher 
classes  of  society,  is  a  striking  proof  that  the  spirit  of  folly  and  of 
malignity  still  prevails  to  a  great  extent,  and  that  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  has  made  little  progress,  even  within  the  limits  of  the 
British  empire — The  following  late  occurrence  shows  the  fatal 
effects  with  which  such  practices  are  sometimes  attended.  “  On 
Monday,  February  28,  1825,  two  of  the  scholars  at  Eton,  the 
Hon.  F.  A.  Cooper,  the  son  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  and 
M.  Wood,  son  of  Colonel  Wood,  and  nephew  to  the  Marquis  o-f 


500 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Such  infernal  practices,  among  creatures  originally 
formed  after  the  divine  image,  if  they  were  not  so 
common,  would  be  viewed  by  every  one  in  whose 
breast  the  least  spark  of  virtue  resides,  with  feelings 
of  indignation  and  horror. 

The  great  body  of  our  youth,  habituated  to  such 
dispositions  and  practices,  after  having  left  school  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen — a  period  when  head¬ 
strong  passions  and  vicious  propensities  begin  to 
operate  with  still  greater  violence — have  access  to 
no  other  seminaries,  in  which  their  lawless  passions 
may  be  controlled,  and  in  which  they  may  be  carried 
forward  in  the  path  of  moral  and  intellectual  im¬ 
provement.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  civilized 
world,  I  am  not  aware  that  there  exist  any  regular 
institutions  exclusively  appropriated  for  the  instruc¬ 
tion  of  young  persons,  from  the  age  of  fifteen  to  the 
age  of  twenty-five  or  upwards,  on  moral,  religious, 
and  scientific  subjects;  in  order  to  expand  their  in¬ 
tellectual  capacities,  and  to  direct  their  moral  powers 
in  the  path  of  universal  benevolence.  Yet,  without 


Londonderry,  in  consequence  of  a  very  warm  altercation  on  the 
play-ground,  on  the  preceding  day,  met  for  the  purpose  of  set¬ 
tling  the  unhappy  quarrel  by  a  pugilistic  encounter — a  prevalent 
practice  at  Eton,  and  all  our  public  schools.  Almost  the  whole 
school  assembling  to  witness  the  spectacle.  The  inexperienced 
youths  commenced  fighting  at  four  o’clock,  and  partly  by  their 
own  energy,  and  partly  by  the  criminal  excitement  of  others, 
continued  the  fatal  contest  till  within  a  little  of  six,  when,  mourn¬ 
ful  to  relate,  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury’s  son  fell  very  heavily  upon 
his  head,  and  never  spoke  afterwards.  He  was  carried  off  to  his 
lodgings,  where  he  expired  in  a  few  hours.  On  the  coroner’s 
inquest,  it  came  out,  that  brandy  had  been  administered  very 
freely,  and  that  no  decisive  effort  had  been  made  to  discontinue  a 
contest  prolonged  beyond  all  due  limits. — About  forty  years  ago, 
a  similar  cause  led  to  a  similar  result  at  the  same  establishment. 
The  survivor  is  a  clergyman  of  great  respectability.” — See  the 
Public  Prints  for  Feb.,  und  Evan.  Mag.  for  April,  1825. 


MORAL  STATE  OF  CIVILIZED  NATIONS.  501 


such  institutions,  all  the  knowledge  and  instructions 
they  may  have  previously  acquired,  in  the  great  ma¬ 
jority  of  instances,  are  rendered  almost  useless  and 
inefficient  for  promoting  the  great  end  of  their  exis¬ 
tence.  From  the  age  of  fifteen  to  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  is  the  most  important  period  of  human  life ;  and, 
for  the  want  of  proper  instruction  during  this  period, 
and  of  rational  objects  to  employ  the  attention  at 
leisure  hours,  many  a  hopeful  youth  has  been  left  to 
glide  insensibly  into  the  mire  of  corruption,  and  to 
become  a  pest  to  his  friends,  and  to  general  society. 
Our  streets  and  highways  are  infested,  and  our  jails 
and  bridewells  filled  with  young  persons  of  this  age, 
who,  by  means  of  rational  and  religious  training, 
might  have  been  rendered  a  comfort  to  their  friends, 
blessings  to  society,  and  ornaments  of  the  Christian 
church. 

It  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  limited  plan  of 
this  work,  to  attempt  to  trace  the  principles  of  ma¬ 
lignity  through  all  the  scenes  of  social,  commercial, 
and  domestic  life.  Were  I  to  enter  into  details  of 
filial  impiety,  ingratitude,  and  rebellion — of  faithless 
friendships — of  the  alienations  of  affections,  and  of 
the  unnatural  contentions  between  brothers  and  sis¬ 
ters — of  the  abominable  selfishness  which  appears  in 
the  general  conduct  and  transactions  of  mankind — 
of  the  bitterness,  the  fraud,  and  the  perjury,  with 
which  law-suits  are  commenced  and  prosecuted — of 
the  hatred  and  resentment,  manifested  for  injuries 
real  or  supposed — of  the  frauds  daily  committed  in 
every  department  of  the  commercial  world — of  the 
shufflings  and  base  deceptions  which  are  practised  in 
cases  of  bankruptcy — of  the  slanders,  the  caballing, 


502 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  falsehood,  which  attend  electioneering  contests 
— of  the  envy,  malice,  and  resentment,  displayed 
between  competitors  for  office  and  power — of  the 
haughtiness  and  insolence  of  petty  tyrants  both  in 
church  and  state — of  the  selfishness  and  injustice  of 
corporate  bodies,  and  the  little  regard  they  show  for 
the  interests  of  those  who  are  oppressed,  and  de¬ 
prived  of  their  due  rewards — of  the  gluttony,  drunk¬ 
enness,  and  prodigality,  which  so  generally  prevail — 
of  the  brawlings,  fightings,  and  contentions  which 
are  daily  presented  to  view  in  taverns,  ale-houses, 
and  dram-shops,  and  the  low  slang  and  vulgar  abuse 
with  which  such  scenes  are  intermingled — of  the 
seductions  accomplished  by  insidious  artfulness  and 
outrageous  perjury — of  the  multiplied  falsehoods  of 
all  descriptions  which  are  uttered  in  courts,  in  camps, 
and  in  private  dwellings — of  the  unblushing  lies  of 
public  newspapers,  and  the  perjuries  of  office — of 
the  systematic  frauds  by  which  a  large  portion  of  the 
community  are  cheated  out  of  their  property  and 
their  rights — of  the  pride,  haughtiness,  and  oppres¬ 
sion  of  the  rich,  and  of  the  malice,  envy,  and  dis¬ 
contentment  of  the  poor — such  pictures  of  malignity 
might  be  presented  to  the  view,  as  would  fill  the 
mind  of  the  reader  with  astonishment  and  horror, 
and  which  would  require  a  series  of  volumes  to  record 
the  revolting  details. 

There  is  one  very  general  characteristic  of  civi¬ 
lized,  and  even  of  Christian  society,  that  bears  the 
stamp  of  malignity,  which  may  particularly  be  no¬ 
ticed  ;  and  that  is,  the  pleasure  with  which  men 
expatiate  on  the  faults  and  delinquencies  of  their 
neighbours,  and  the  eagerness  with  which  they  cir- 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENTS. 


503 


culate  scandalous  reports  through  every  portion  of 
the  community.  Almost  the  one  half  of  the  con¬ 
versation  of  civilized  men,  when  strictly  analyzed, 
will  be  found  to  consist  of  malignant  insinuations, 
and  of  tales  of  scandal,  the  one  half  of  which  is  des¬ 
titute  of  any  solid  foundation.  How  comes  it  to 
pass,  that  the  slightest  deviation  from  propriety  or 
rectitude,  in  the  case  of  one  of  a  generally  respect¬ 
able  character,  is  dwelt  upon  with  a  fiend-like  pleasure, 
and  aggravated  beyond  measure,  while  all  his  good 
qualities  are  overlooked  and  thrown  completely  into 
the  shade  ?  What  is  the  reason  why  we  are  not  as 
anxious  to  bring  forward  the  good  qualities  and  ac¬ 
tions  of  our  fellow-men,  and  to  bestow  upon  them 
their  due  tribute  of  praise,  as  we  are  to  blaze  abroad 
their  errors  and  infirmities  ?  How  often  does  it 
happen,  that  a  single  evil  action  committed  by  an 
individual,  contrary  to  the  general  tenor  of  his  life, 
will  be  trumpeted  about  by  the  tongue  of  malice, 
even  to  the  end  of  his  life,  while  all  his  virtuous 
deeds  and  praiseworthy  actions  will  be  overlooked 
and  forgotten,  and  attempted  to  be  buried  in  oblivion  ! 
If  benevolence  were  the  prevailing  characteristic  of 
mankind,  such  dispositions  would  seldom  be  displayed 
in  the  intercourses  of  human  beings.  If  benevolence 
pervaded  every  heart,  we  would  rejoice  to  expatiate 
on  the  excellencies  of  others  ; — these  would  form  the 
chief  topics  of  conversation  in  our  personal  remarks 
on  others  ;  we  would  endeavour  to  throw  a  veil  over 
the  infirmities  of  our  brethren,  and  would  be  always 
disposed  to  exercise  that  charity  “  which  covers  a 
multitude  of  sins.” 

If  we  now  turn  our  eyes  for  a  moment  to  the 


504 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


amusements  of  civilized  society,  we  shall  find  many 
of  them  distinguished  by  a  malignant  character  and 
tendency.  What  an  appropriate  exhibition  for  ra¬ 
tional  and  immortal  beings  do  the  scenes  of  a  cock¬ 
pit  display  !  to  behold  a  motley  group  of  bipeds ,  of 
all  sorts  and  sizes,  from  the  peer  to  the  chimney¬ 
sweep,  and  from  the  man  of  hoary  hairs  to  the  lisp¬ 
ing  infant,  betting,  blustering,  swearing,  and  feast¬ 
ing  their  eyes  with  a  savage  delight  on  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  their  fellow-bipeds,  whom  they  have  taught 
to  wound,  to  torment,  and  to  destroy  each  other  ! 
There  is  scarcely  any  thing  that  appears  so  conge¬ 
nial  to  the  spirit  which  pervades  the  infernal  regions, 
as  the  attempt  to  inspire  the  lower  animals  with  the 
same  malignant  dispositions  which  characterize  the 
most  degraded  of  the  human  species.  That  such  a 
cruel  and  disgusting  practice  still  prevails  in  Eng¬ 
land,  and  that  it  formed,  till  lately,  a  part  of  the 
amusements  of  almost  all  the  schools  in  Scotland, 
is  a  reproach  to  the  civilization,  and  the  Christianity 
of  our  country.  And  what  a  fine  spectacle  to  a 
humane  and  civilized  mind  is  the  amusement  of  bull¬ 
baiting  !  an  amusement  in  which  the  strength  and 
courage  of  this  animal  are  made  the  means  of  tortur- 
ing  him  with  the  most  exquisite  agonies  !  Can  be¬ 
nevolence,  can  even  the  common  feelings  of  huma¬ 
nity,  reside  in  the  breast  of  that  man  who  can  find 
enjoyment  in  encouraging  and  in  witnessing  such 
barbarous  sports  ?  And  what  a  dignified  amuse¬ 
ment  is  the  horse-race  !  where  crowds  of  the  nobi¬ 
lity,  gentry,  and  of  the  most  polished  classes  of  so¬ 
ciety,  as  well  as  the  ignoble  rabble,  assemble  from  all 
quarters,  to  behoid  two  noble  animals  panting  and 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENTS. 


505 


and  heaving,  and  endeavouring  to  outstrip  each  other 
on  the  course  !  What  a  scene  of  bullying,  and 
jockeying,  and  betting,  and  cheating,  and  swearing, 
and  fighting,  is  generally  presented  on  such  occa¬ 
sions  !  What  a  wonderful  degree  of  importance  is 
attached  by  the  roost  dignified  ranks  of  society,  to 
the  issue  of  the  race;  as  if  the  fate  of  an  empire,  or 
the  salvation  of  an  immortal  spirit,  were  depending 
on  the  circumstance  of  one  horse  getting  the  start  of 
another  !  I  do  not  mean  to  decry,  indiscriminately, 
public  amusements  ;  nor  to  call  in  question  the  pro¬ 
priety  of  improving  the  locomotive  powers  of  the 
horse;  but  surely  it  would  require  no  great  stretch 
of  invention,  to  devise  spectacles  and  entertainments 
much  more  dignified,  and  congenial  to  the  noble 
powers  and  the  high  destination  of  the  human  mind, 
and  which  might  be  exhibited  with  as  little  expense 
either  of  time  or  of  money. 

And  what  shall  we  say  of  lion  jiglits ,  and  dog 
fights ,  and  boxing  matches  between  animals  in  the 
shape  of  men,  which  have  lately  been  advertised  in 
the  public  prints  with  so  much  impudence  and  ef¬ 
frontery  ?  Are  the  patrons  of  such  revolting  exhi¬ 
bitions,  and  the  crowds  which  resort  to  them,  to  be 
considered  as  patterns  of  taste,  of  humanity,  and  of 
refined  benevolence  ?  And  what  shall  we  think  of 
the  amusements  of  one  half  of  our  gentry,  country 
squires,  gentlemen  farmers,  and  the  whole  tribe  of 
the  sporting  community,  who  derive  more  exquisite 
enjoyment  in  maiming  a  hare,  a  partridge,  or  a  moor- 
fowl,  than  in  relieving  the  wants  of  the  friendless 
poor,  in  meliorating  the  condition  of  their  depen¬ 
dents,  or  in  patronizing  the  diffusion  of  useful  know- 

D.  2.  Y 


506 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ledge?  If  one  of  our  best  moral  poets  declared, 
that  “  he  would  not  enter  on  his  list  of  friends, 
though  graced  with  polished  manners  and  fine  sense, 
the  man  who  needlessly  sets  foot  upon  a  worm,” 
what  would  he  his  estimate  of  the  man  who  derived 
one  of  his  chief  gratifications,  day  after  day,  from 
making  havoc  among  the  feathered  tribes,  and  from 
lacerating  and  maiming  a  timid  hare,  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  indulging  a  sporting  humour,  and  proving 
himself  an  excellent  marksman  ?  Can  we  suppose 
that  the  benevolent  Creator  so  curiously  organized 
the  beasts  of  the  earth  and  the  fowls  of  heaven, 
and  endowed  them  with  exquisite  feelings  and  sen¬ 
sibility,  merely  that  tyrannical  man  might  torture 
and  destroy  them  for  his  amusement ?  For  the 
persons  to  whom  I  allude  cannot  plead  necessity  for 
such  conduct,  as  if  they  were  dependent  for  sub¬ 
sistence  on  their  carcases.  Such  is  still  the  mania 
for  these  cruel  amusements,  that  the  butchery  of  the 
brutal  and  the  winged  tribes,  it  is  likely,  will  soon 
he  reduced  to  a  regular  system,  and  enrolled  among 
the  number  of  the  fine  arts.  For,  an  octavo  volume 
of  470  pages,  which  has  already  passed  through  six 
editions,  has  been  lately  published,  entitled,  C£  In¬ 
structions  to  Young  Sportsmen  in  all  that  relates  to 
Game  and  Shooting:”  by  Lieut.  Colonel  Hawker. 
The  author,  after  having  stated  that  he  has  now  lost 
his  eyes  and  nerves  for  a  good  shot,  says,  <e  The 
greatest  pleasure  that  can  possibly  remain  for  me,  is 
to  resign  the  little  I  have  learned,  for  the  benefit  of 
young  sportsmen.  The  rising  generation  of  shooters 
might  otherwise  he  left  for  many  years  to  find  out 
all  these  little  matters.”  And  a  most  important  loss, 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENTS. 


507 


doubtless,  the  rising  generation  would  have  sustained, 
had  not  the  worthy  colonel  condescended  to  com¬ 
municate  his  discoveries  !  I  was  lately  making  an 
excursion  in  a  steam-boat  through  one  of  the  Scottish 
lakes.  Among  the  passengers  were  several  of  the 
sporting  gentry,  furnished  with  all  the  requisite 
accoutrements,  who  seemed  to  enjoy  a  higher  grati¬ 
fication  in  disturbing  the  happiness  of  the  feathered 
tribes,  than  in  contemplating  the  natural  beauties  of 
the  surrounding  scene.  When  any  of  these  hap¬ 
less  animals  appeared  in  view,  a  hue  and  cry  com¬ 
menced,  a  shot  was  prepared,  and  a  musket  levelled  at 
the  unoffending  creatures,  which  created  among  them 
universal  agitation  and  alarm.  Some  of  them  were 
killed,  and  others,  doubtless,  maimed  and  rendered 
miserable  for  life;  while  no  human  being  could  en¬ 
joy  the  least  benefit  from  such  wanton  cruelty.  To 
kill,  or  even  to  maim  any  living  creature  that  is  doing 
us  no  harm,  and  when  there  is  no  possibility,  nor 
even  a  desire,  to  procure  its  carcase  for  food,  cannot, 
1  should  think,  by  any  sophistry  of  reasoning,  be 
construed  into  an  act  of  benevolence.* 

I  cannot  here  forbear  inserting  a  passage  from 


*  In  throwing  out  these  reflections,  the  author  by  no  means 
wishes  to  insinuate,  that  it  is  improper  in  every  instance,  to  kill 
any  of  the  inferior  animals;  his  remarks  being  directed  solely 
against  the  practice  of  wantonly  maiming  or  destroying  them  for 
the  sake  of  mere  sport  or  amusement.  Even  in  those  cases  where 
it  may  appear  expedient  or  necessary  to  extirpate  a  portion  of 
the  animal  tribes,  it  appears  somewhat  strange,  that  gentlemen 
should  be  the  voluntary  agents  employed  in  this  work  of  destruc¬ 
tion,  and  that  their  minds  should  be  so  much  absorbed  in  the 
satisfaction  which  it  creates.  One  would  have  thought  that  the 
very  lowest  ciass  of  the  community  would  have  been  selected 
for  this  purpose,  as  there  is  something  naturally  revolting  in  the 
employment  of  destroying  the  life  of  any  sensitive  being. 

Y  2 


508 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


“  Salt’s  Travels  in  Abyssinia,”  which  exhibits  a 
very  different  spirit  in  one  whom  some  would  be  dis¬ 
posed  to  rank  among  the  class  of  semi-barbarians. 
“  In  the  evening,  Baharnegash  Yasons,  a  servant 
of  the  Has  (of  Abyssinia)  who  had  attended  me  dur¬ 
ing  my  whole  stay  in  the  country,  took  his  leave. 
Among  all  the  men  with  whom  I  have  been  inti¬ 
mately  acquainted,  I  consider  this  old  man  as  one  of 
the  most  perfect  and  blameless  characters.  His  mind 
seemed  to  he  formed  upon  the  purest  principles  of 
the  Christian  religon;  his  every  thought  and  action 
appearing  to  be  the  result  of  its  dictates.  He  would 
often,  to  ease  his  mule,  wralk  more  than  half  the  day; 
and  as  he  journeyed  by  my  side,  continually  recited 
prayers  for  our  welfare  and  future  prosperity.  On 
all  occasions,  he  sought  to  repress  in  those  around 
him  every  improper  feeling  of  anger;  conciliated 
them  by  the  kindest  words,  and  excited  them,  by  his 
example,  to  an  active  performance  of  their  duties. 
If  a  man  were  weary,  he  would  assist  him  in  carry¬ 
ing  his  burden ;  if  he  perceived  any  of  the  mules’ 
hacks  to  be  hurt,  he  would  beg  me  to  have  them  re¬ 
lieved  ;  and  constantly,  when  he  saw  me  engaged  in 
shooting  partridges,  or  other  birds,  he  would  call  out 
to  them  to  fly  out  of  the  way,  shaking  his  head,  and 
begging  me,  in  a  mournful  accent,  not  to  kill  them. 
I  have  remarked,  in  my  former  Journal,  that,  with 
all  this  refined  feeling  of  humanity,  he  was  far  from 
being  devoid  of  courage  ;  and  I  had  an  opportunity, 
subsequently,  of  witnessing  several  instances  of  his 
bravery,  though  he  appeared  on  all  occasions  pecu¬ 
liarly  anxious  to  avoid  a  quarrel.  We  parted,  I 
believe,  with  mutual  regret :  at  least,  for  my  own  part, 


SPANISH  BULL-FIGHTS. 


509 


I  can  truly  say,  that  I  have  seldom  felt  more  respect 
for  an  individual  than  I  did  for  this  worthy  man.” 

As  a  contrast  to  the  benevolent  dispositions  dis¬ 
played  by  this  worthy  Abyssinian,  I  shall  give  a 
short  description  of  a  bull-Jight  in  Madrid,  extracted 
from  a  work,  the  author  of  which  was  a  spectator 
(in  1803)  of  the  scene  he  describes.  <{  The  Span¬ 
ish  bull-fights  are  certainly  the  most  extraordinary 
exhibition  in  Europe  :  we  were  present  at  one  of 
them  this  morning.  The  places  in  the  amphitheatre 
were  nearly  all  filled  at  half-past  nine,  and  at  ten, 
the  corregidor  came  into  his  box  ;  upon  which  the 
trumpets  sounded,  and  the  people  rose  and  shouted, 
from  the  delight  that  the  show  was  to  begin  imme¬ 
diately.  Four  men  in  black  gowTns  then  came  for¬ 
ward,  and  read  a  proclamation,  enjoining  all  persons 
to  remain  in  their  seats.  On  their  going  out  of  the 
arena,  the  six  bulls  which  were  to  be  fought  this 
morning,  were  driven  across,  led  on  by  a  cow,  with  a 
bell  round  her  neck.  The  two  picadores  (the  men 
who  are  appointed  to  fight  the  furious  animals)  now 
appeared,  dressed  in  leathern  gaiters,  thick  leathern 
breeches,  silk  jackets  covered  with  spangles,  and  caps 
surmounted  by  broad-brimmed  white  hats  :  each  rode 
a  miserable  hack,  and  carried  in  his  hand  a  long  pole, 
with  a  goad  at  the  end.  As  soon  as  they  were  pre¬ 
pared,  a  door  wTas  opened,  and  the  first  bull  rushed 
in.  In  the  course  of  the  contest  I  felt  first  alarmed 
for  the  men,  and  then  for  the  horses.  Soon  the 
accidents  of  the  men  withdrew  my  pity  from  the 
beasts :  and  latterly,  by  a  natural  and  dreadful  oper¬ 
ation  of  the  mind,  I  began  to  look  with  horror  on 
the  calamities  of  both.  The  manner  of  the  fight 


510 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


is  thus  : — The  bull  rushes  in,  and  makes  an  attack 
severally  upon  the  picadores,  who  repulse  him  ;  he 
being  always  on  these  occasions  wounded  in  the 
neck  ;  after  a  few  re-encounters,  he  becomes  some¬ 
what  shy;  but,  at  the  same  time,  when  he  does  rush 
on,  he  is  doubly  dangerous.  He  follows  up  the  at¬ 
tack,  and  frequently  succeeds  in  overthrowing  both 
horse  and  rider.  As  long  as  the  horse  has  strength 
to  bear  the  picadore,  he  is  obliged  to  ride  him.  This 
morning  one  of  these  wretched  animals  was  forced  to 
charge,  with  his  guts  hanging  in  festoons  between  his 
legs  !  His  belly  was  again  ripped  open  by  the  bull, 
and  he  fell  for  dead ;  but  the  attendants  obliged  him 
to  rise  and  crawl  out.  This  seems  the  cruellest  part 
of  the  business  ;  for  the  men  almost  always  escape  ; 
but  the  blood  and  sufferings  of  thirteen  horses  were 
exhibited  in  the  short  space  of  two  hours.  Four  men 
were  hurt ;  one,  who  was  entirely  overturned  with 
his  horse  upon  him,  was  carried  out  like  a  corpse; 
but  the  spectators,  totally  disregarding  this  melan¬ 
choly  sight ,  shouted  for  his  companion  to  renew  the 
attack.  The  bull,  after  his  first  rage,  and  subse¬ 
quent  fury  during  many  rounds,  begins  to  feel  weak¬ 
ness,  and  declines  further  attacks  on  the  horsemen. 
Upon  this,  a  loud  shout  re-echoes  through  the  thea¬ 
tre,  and  some  of  the  attendants  advance  and  stick 
his  gored  neck  full  of  arrows,  which  cause  him  to 
ivrithe  about  in  great  torment.  When  the  efforts 
he  makes  under  these  sufferings  have  considerably 
spent  his  strength,  the  corregidor  makes  a  motion 
with  his  hand,  and  the  trumpets  sound  as  a  signal 
to  the  matador  to  despatch  him.  This  is  a  service 
which  requires  great  skill  and  bravery  ;  for  the  mad- 


SPANISH  BULL-FIGHTS. 


51 1 


ness  of  the  bull,  and  the  torture  he  endures,  prompt 
him  to  destroy  every  one  around.  The  matador 
advances  with  a  red  cloak  in  one  hand,  and  a  sword 
in  the  other.  He  enrages  the  bull  with  the  cloak, 
till  at  length  getting  opposite  him,  he  rushes  for¬ 
ward,  and  the  sword  pierces  his  spinal  marrow,  or, 
what  is  more  common,  is  buried  to  the  hilt  in  his 
neck  ;  upon  which  he  turns  aside,  at  first  moaning, 
but  a  torrent  of  blood  gushes  from  his  mouth  ;  and 
he  staffffers  round  the  arena,  and  falls.  The  trum- 
pets  sound  ;  three  mules,  ornamented  with  ribbons 
and  flags,  appear  to  drag  the  wretched  victim  out  by 
the  horns,  and  the  horsemen  prepare  for  the  attack 
of  a  fresh  animal.” 

“  In  the  evening  the  show  began  at  half-past  four, 
and  ten  bulls  were  brought  forward.  To  tame  them 
before  the  matador  approached,  a  new  expedient  was 
resorted  to,  most  infamously  cruel;  namely,  the  cover¬ 
ing  of  the  darts  with  sulphur  and  fireworks.  The 
torments  of  these  were  so  dreadful,  that  the  animals, 
whose  strength  was  fresh,  raged  about  terribly,  so 
that  the  assistants  were  forced  to  use  great  agility  to 
get  from  them.  There  were  many  hair-breadth 
escapes  ;  one  of  the  animals,  in  pursuit  of  a  man, 
leaped  the  barrier  of  the  arena,  which  is  about  eight 
feet  high.  A  second  bull  was  still  more  furious,  and 
made  more  tremendous  attacks.  In  one  of  these, 
he  pinned  the  man  and  horse  against  the  barriers, 
got  his  horns  under  the  horse,  and  lacerated  him 
dreadfully;  in  a  moment  afterwards,  he  lifted  him 
up,  and  threw  the  man  with  such  force  through  one 
of  the  apertures,  as  to  kill  him  on  the  spot.  He 
was  borne  past  the  box  in  which  we  were,  with  his 


512 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


teeth  set,  and  his  side  covered  with  blood  ;  the  horse 
staggered  out,  spouting  a  stream  of  gore  from  his 
chest.  The  remaining  picadore  renewed  the  charge, 
and  another  came  in  xoith  shouts  to  take  the  dead 
man's  place.  One  of  these  had  his  horse’s  skin 
dreadfully  ripped  off  his  side,  and  when  he  breathed, 
the  entrails  swelled  out  of  the  hole  ;  to  prevent  which, 
the  rider  got  off  and  stuffed  in  his  pocket  handker¬ 
chief,”  &c.* — “  I  have  seen,”  says  Bourgoing, 
“  eight  and  ten  horses  torn,  and  their  bellies  ripped 
open,  fall  and  expire  in  the  field  of  battle.  Some¬ 
times  these  horses,  affecting  models  of  patience,  of 
courage,  and  of  docility — present  a  spectacle  at  which 
it  may  be  allowable  to  shudder.  You  see  them  tread 
under  their  feet  their  own  bloody  entrails,  hanging 
out  of  their  open  sides,  and  still  obey  for  some  time 
the  hand  that  guides  them.” 

Such  are  the  amusements  which,  in  Spain,  fas¬ 
cinate  all  ranks  of  the  community,  from  the  prince 
to  the  peasant.  Young  ladies,  old  men,  servant 
girls,  and  people  of  all  ages  and  all  characters  are 
present.  The  art  of  killing  a  bull,  which  seems 
exclusively  to  be  the  business  of  a  butcher,  is  gravely 
discussed  and  exalted  with  transport,  not  only  by  the 
rabble,  but  by  men  of  sense,  and  by  women  of  deli¬ 
cacy.  The  day  of  a  bull-fight  is  a  day  of  solemnity 
for  the  whole  canton.  “  The  people  come,”  says 
Bourgoing,  “  from  ten  and  twelve  leagues  distance. 
The  artisan  who  can  with  difficulty  earn  enough  for 


*  Travels  through  Spain  and  part  of  Portugal,  in  1803,  Vol.  ii. 
pp.  35 — 45.  A  more  circumstantial  account  of  these  tights,  and 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  above  description,  may  be  seen  in 
Bourgoing’s  “  Modern  State  of  Spain,  Vol.  ii.  pp.  346 — 360. 


SPANISH  AMUSEMENTS. 


513 


his  subsistence,  has  always  sufficient  to  pay  for  the 
bull-fight.  Woe  be  to  the  chastity  of  a  young  girl 
whose  poverty  excludes  her  !  The  man  who  pays 
for  her  admittance,  will  be  her  first  seducer.  It  is 
indeed  a  very  striking  sight  to  see  all  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  assemble  round  the  circus,  waiting  the  signal 
for  the  fight,  and  wearing  in  their  exterior  every 
sign  of  impatience .”  There  is  not  a  town  in  Spain, 
but  what  has  a  large  square  for  the  purpose  of  ex¬ 
hibiting  bull-fights  ;  and  it  is  said  that  even  the 
poorest  inhabitants  of  the  smallest  villages  will  often 
club  together,  in  order  to  procure  a  cow  or  an  ox, 
and  fight  them  riding  upon  asses  for  want  of  horses.* 
Can  a  spirit  of  pure  benevolence  be  general  among 
a  people  addicted  to  such  cruel  and  savage  amuse¬ 
ments  !  And,  need  we  wonder  to  find,  that  troops 
of  lawless  banditti  are  continually  prowling  among 
the  mountains  and  forests  of  that  country,  commit¬ 
ting  murders  and  depredations?  One  of  the  authors 
just  now  quoted,  when  alluding  to  banditti,  and  de¬ 
tailing  the  incidents  which  occurred  on  his  route  to 
Madrid,  says,  ((  In  this  country  it  is  impossible  to 
distinguish  friends  from  foes,  as  all  travellers  go  well 
armed.  We  met  just  here  half  a  dozen  horsemen,  many 
of  whom  had  swords  and  pistols,  and  we  afterwards 
saw  peasants  riding  on  asses,  armed  in  the  same  way. 
A  few  leagues  farther  on,  we  met  a  strong  detach¬ 
ment  of  cavalry  patroling  the  road,  in  consequence  of 


*  It  is  said  that  these  fights  were  prohibited  in  1805,  to  the 
deep  regret  of  the  most  numerous  part  of  the  nation ;  but  another 
entertainment,  called  fiesta  de  novillos,  which  is  an  image  of  the 
bull-fight,  is  still  retained  ;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  by  this 
time  the  true  bull-fight  has  been  again  revived. 


614.  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

a  daring  robbery,  which  had  just  been  committed  on 
a  nobleman  who  was  bringing  his  bride  to  court  from 
Barcelona.  He  had  a  numerous  retinue  ;  the  ban¬ 
ditti  were  twelve  in  number,  and  completely  armed.” 

If  we  now  take  a  cursory  glance  at  our  popular 
literary  works,  and  at  several  of  our  publications 
intended  for  the  nursery ,  we  shall  find  that  a  goodly 
portion  of  them  is  stamped  with  the  character  of 
frivolity  and  of  malignity.  When  the  young  mind 
is  just  beginning  to  expand,  instead  of  being  irradi¬ 
ated  with  the  beams  of  unadulterated  truth,  a  group 
of  disturbed  and  unsubstantial  images,  which  have 
no  prototypes  in  nature,  is  presented  to  the  view  of 
the  intellect,  as  the  groundwork  of  its  future  pro¬ 
gress  in  wisdom  and  knowledge.  Instead  of  the 
simple  and  sublime  precepts  of  Christian  benevo¬ 
lence,  the  wild  and  romantic  notions  connected  with 
chivalry,  the  superstitions  of  the  dark  ages,  and  the 
love  of  false  heroism,  and  of  military  glory,  are  at¬ 
tempted  to  be  indelibly  rivetted  on  the  minds  of  the 
young.  What  else  can  be  expected,  when  such 
legends  and  romances  as  the  following  occupy  the 
principal  part  of  the  nursery  library? — Blue  Beard ; 
Cinderella;  Tom  Thumb;  Jack  the  Giant-Killer ; 
Valentine  and  Orson ;  The  Seven  Champions  of 
Christendom;  Robin  Hood;  Goody  Two- Shoes; 
Puss  in  Boots  ;  Sinbad  the  Sailor;  Aladdin,  or  the 
Wonderful  Lamp;  Thalaba,  or,  the  Destroyer; 
The  Blood-Red  Knight ;  The  Maid  and  the  Mag¬ 
pie  ;  Fairy  Tales ,  and  a  long  list  of  similar  romances, 
equally  improving  and  important !  Such  works  are 
published,  even  at  the  present  time,  not  only  in  a 


POPULAR  LITERATURE. 


515 


Lilliputian  size,  to  suit  the  lower  ranks  of  the  com¬ 
munity,  but  in  a  style  of  elegance,  calculated  to  fas¬ 
cinate  the  highest  circles  of  society.  Ten  thousands 
of  copies  of  such  publications  are  presently  in  circula¬ 
tion  throughout  every  part  of  the  British  empire ; 
— and  what  is  the  great  object  they  are  calculated  to 
accomplish  ?  To  exhibit  distorted  views  of  the  scenes 
of  nature,  and  of  human  society;  to  foster  supersti¬ 
tious  notions;  to  inspire  the  minds  of  the  young  with 
an  inordinate  desire  after  worldly  honour  and  distinc¬ 
tion ;  to  set  before  them,  as  an  ultimate  object,  the 
splendour  and  felicity  of  “  riding  in  a  coach  and  six 
and  to  familiarize  their  minds  to  chivalrous  exploits, 
and  to  scenes  of  butchery  and  revenge. 

If  we  glance  at  the  popular  literary  works  of  the 
present  day,  intended  for  the  amusement  of  children 
of  a  larger  growth,  we  shall  find  many  of  them  im¬ 
bued  with  a  similar  spirit,  and  having  a  similar  ten¬ 
dency.  What  is  it  that  just  now  fascinates  our 
literary  loungers,  our  polished  gentry,  our  educated 
females,  nay,  all  ranks  of  the  community,  from  the 
dignified  clergyman  to  the  humble  weaver;  and  which 
threatens  to  destroy  all  relish  for  plain  unvarnished 
facts,  and  for  substantial  knowledge  ?  The  novels 
of  Waverley,  Guy  Mannering,  Rob  Roy,  Tales  of 
my  Landlord,  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  St.  Ronan’s 
Well, — Marmion,  the  Corsair,  Childe  Harold,  and 
a  shoal  of  similar  publications,  which  are  daily  issuing 
from  the  press.  And  what  is  the  general  tendency 
of  the  great  majority  of  such  works?  To  distort 
and  caricature  the  facts  of  real  history ;  to  gratify  a 
romantic  imagination  ;  to  pamper  a  depraved  mental 
appetite ;  to  excite  a  disrelish  for  the  existing  scenes 


51G 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  nature,  and  for  the  authenticated  facts  which  have 
occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind ;  to  hold  up 
venerable  characters  to  derision  and  contempt;  to 
excite  admiration  of  the  exploits  and  the  malignant 
principles  of  those  rude  chieftains,  whose  names  ought 
to  descend  into  everlasting  oblivion  ;  to  revive  the 
revengeful  spirit  of  the  dark  ages ;  to  undermine  a 
secret  regard  for  truth  and  moral  principle,  which  are 
the  basis  of  the  happiness  of  the  intelligent  universe  ; 
and  to  throw  a  false  glory  over  scenes  of  rapine, 
bloodshed,  and  devastation. — To  such  works,  and  to 
their  admirers,  we  might  apply  the  words  of  the  an¬ 
cient  Prophet:  “He  feedeth  on  ashes;  a  deceived 
heart  hath  turned  him  aside,  that  he  cannot  say,  Is 
there  not  a  lie  in  my  right  hand?” 

“  For,  sure,  to  hug  a  fancied  case, 

That  never  did,  nor  can  take  place, 

And  for  the  pleasures  it  can  give, 

Neglect  the  ‘facts  ol  real  life,’ 

Is  madness  in  its  greatest  height, 

Or  I  mistake  the  matter  quite.”  Wilkie. 

To  affirm,  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  entertain¬ 
ment  of  the  human  mind,  to  have  recourse  to  ficti¬ 
tious  scenes  and  narratives,  and  to  the  wild  vagaries 
of  an  unbridled  imagination,  is,  in  effect,  to  throw  a 
reflection  upon  the  plans  and  the  conduct  of  the 
Creator.  It  implies,  that,  in  the  scenes  of  nature 
which  surround  us,  and  in  the  administrations  of  his 
moral  government  among  men,  God  has  not  pro¬ 
duced  a  sufficient  variety  of  interesting  objects  for 
the  contemplation,  the  instruction,  and  the  entertain¬ 
ment  of  the  human  race — and  that  the  system  of 
the  moral  and  physical  world  must  be  distorted  and 


UTILITY  OF  THE  REAL  SCENES  OF  NATURE.  517 


deranged,  and  blended  with  the  creations  of  human 
folly,  before  its  scenery  be  rendered  fit  to  gratify 
the  depraved  and  fastidious  tastes  of  mankind.* 
And  is  it  indeed  true,  that  there  is  not  a  sufficient 
variety  to  gratify  a  rational  mind  in  the  existing 
scenes  of  creation  and  providence?  If  we  survey 
the  Alpine  scenes  of  nature;  if  we  explore  the  won¬ 
ders  of  the  ocean  ;  if  we  penetrate  into  the  subter¬ 
raneous  recesses  of  the  globe ;  if  we  direct  our  view 
to  the  numerous  objects  of  sublimity  and  beauty  to 
be  found  in  every  country;  if  we  investigate  the 
structure  and  economy  of  the  animal  and  vegetable 
tribes;  if  we  raise  our  eyes  to  the  rolling  orbs  of 
heaven ;  if  we  look  back  to  the  generations  of  old, 
and  trace  the  history  of  ancient  nations ;  if  we  con¬ 
template  the  present  state  of  civilized  and  of  savage 
tribes,  and  the  moral  scenery  which  is  every  where 
displayed  around  us — shall  we  not  find  a  sufficient 
variety  of  every  thing  which  is  calculated  to  interest, 


*  The  following  sketch  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  the  author  of 
some  of  the  works  alluded  to,  is  given  in  Ilaziitt’s  “  Spirit  of 
the  Age,  or  Contemporary  Portraits.”  '‘His  mind  receives 
and  treasures  up  every  thing  brought  to  it  by  tradition  or  cus¬ 
tom — it  does  not  project  itself  beyond  this  into  the  world  un¬ 
known,  but  mechanically  shrinks  back  as  from  the  edge  of  a  pre¬ 
cipice.  The  land  of  pure  reason  is,  to  his  apprehension,  like  Fan 
Diemen's  Land,  barren,  miserable,  distant,  a  place  of  exile,  the 
dreary  abode  of  savages,  convicts,  and  adventurers.  Sir  Walter 
would  make  a  bad  hand  of  a  description  of  the  millennium ,  unless 
he  would  lay  the  scene  in  Scotland,  500  years  ago  ;  and  then  he 
would  want  facts  and  worm-eaten  parchments  to  support  his 
drooping  style.  Our  historical  novelist  firmly  thinks,  that  nothing 
is  but  what  has  been — that  the  moral  world  stands  still,  as  the  ma¬ 
terial  one  was  supposed  to  do  of  old — and  that  we  can  never  get 
beyond  the  point  where  we  actually  are,  without  utter  destruction, 
though  every  thing  changes  and  will  change,  from  what  it  was 
300  years  ago  and  what  it  is  now;  from  what  it  is  now,  to  all  that 
the  bigotted  admirer  of  the  good  old  times  most  dreads  and  hates.” 


518 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  instruct,  and  to  entertain  a  rational  mind  ?  I  am 
bold  to  affirm,  that,  were  a  proper  selection  made  of 
the  facts  connected  with  the  system  of  nature,  and 
with  the  history  and  the  present  state  of  human 
society,  and  were  the  sketches  of  such  facts  executed 
by  the  hand  of  a  master,  and  interspersed  with  ra¬ 
tional  and  moral  reflections — volumes  might  be  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  public,  no  less  entertaining,  and  cer¬ 
tainly  far  more  instructive,  than  all  the  novels  and 
romances  which  the  human  imagination  has  ever  pro¬ 
duced  ;  and  that,  too,  without  distorting  a  single 
fact  in  the  system  of  nature  or  of  human  society,  or 
exciting  a  sentiment  of  admiration  or  of  approbation 
of  the  exploits  of  warriors.  If  we  wish  to  be  amused 
with  entertaining  narrations  and  novel  scenes,  the 
narratives  of  adventurous  voyagers  and  travellers, 
when  written  with  spirit  and  animation,  will  supply 
us  with  entertainment  scarcely  inferior  to  that  of  the 
best  written  novel;  and  it  is  the  reader’s  own  fault, 
if  he  do  not,  from  such  sources,  derive  moral  instruc¬ 
tion.  Such  adventures  as  those  of  Munjjo  Park  in 
Africa,  and  Captain  Cochrane  in  Siberia,  and  such 
narratives  as  those  of  Byron,  Brisson,  Pierre  Viaud, 
Anson,  Cook,  Bligh,  Perouse,  and  others,  abound 
with  so  many  striking  and  affecting  incidents,  that 
the  reader’s  attention  is  kept  alive,  and  he  feels  as 
lively  an  interest  in  the  fate  of  the  adventurers,  as 
is  usually  felt  in  that  of  the  fictitious  hero  of  a  novel, 
or  a  romance. 

If  man  were  only  the  creature  of  a  day,  whose 
whole  existence  was  confined  within  the  limits  of  this 
sublunary  scene,  he  might  amuse  himself  either  with 
facts  or  with  fictions,  or  with  any  toys  or  gewgaws 


FUTILITY  OF  FICTITIOUS  SCENES.  519 


that  happened  to  strike  his  fancy,  while  he  glided 
down  the  stream  of  time  to  the  gulf  of  oblivion. 
But  if  he  is  a  being  destined  for  eternity,  the  train 
of  his  thoughts  ought  to  be  directed  to  objects  cor¬ 
responding  to  his  high  destination,  and  all  his  amuse¬ 
ments  blended  with  those  moral  instructions  which 
have  an  ultimate  reference  to  the  scene  of  his  im¬ 
mortal  existence.  When  I  read  one  of  our  modern 
novels,  I  enjoy,  for  a  few  hours,  a  transitory  amuse¬ 
ment,  in  contemplating  the  scenes  of  fancy  it  displays, 
and  in  following  the  hero  through  his  numerous  ad¬ 
ventures;  I  admire  the  force  and  brilliancy  of  the 
writer’s  imagination,  (for  I  am  by  no  means  disposed 
to  underrate  the  talent  which  has  produced  some  of 
the  works  to  which  I  allude;)  but  when  I  have 
finished  the  perusal,  and  reflect,  that  all  the  scenes 
which  passed  before  my  mental  eye,  were  only  so 
many  unsubstantial  images,  the  fictions  of  a  lively 
imagination — I  cannot  indulge  in  rational  or  religious 
reflections  on  the  subject,  nor  derive  a  single  moral 
instruction,  any  more  than  I  can  do  from  a  dream  or 
a  vision  of  the  night.  When  I  survey  the  scenes 
of  creation ;  when  I  read  the  history  of  ancient 
nations;  when  I  peruse  the  authentic  narratives  of 
the  voyager  and  traveller;  when  I  search  the  records 
of  revelation;  and  when  I  contemplate  the  present 
state  of  society  around  me, — I  learn  something  of 
the  attributes  and  the  providence  of  God,  and  of  the 
moral  and  physical  state  of  mankind.  From  almost 
every  scene  and  every  incident,  1  can  deduce  in¬ 
structions  calculated  to  promote  the  exercise  of  hu¬ 
mility,  meekness,  gratitude,  and  resignation — to  lead 
the  mind  to  God  as  the  source  of  felicity,  and  as  the 


520 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


righteous  governor  of  the  world — and  to  impress  the 
heart  with  a  sense  of  the  folly  and  depravity  of  man. 
But  it  is  obvious,  that  no  distinct  moral  instructions 
can  be  fairly  deduced  from  scenes,  circumstances,  and 
events  “which  never  did  nor  can  take  place.” — 
Such,  however,  is,  at  present,  the  tide  of  public  opin¬ 
ion  on  this  subject,  that  we  might  as  soon  attempt  to 
stem  a  mountain  torrent  by  a  breath  of  wind,  or  to 
interrupt  the  dashings  of  a  mighty  cataract  by  the 
waving  of  our  hand,  as  to  expect  to  counteract,  by 
any  considerations  that  can  be  adduced,  the  current 
of  popular  feeling  in  favour  of  novels,  and  tales  of 
knights  and  of  tournaments,  of  warlike  chieftains, 
and  military  encounters.  Such  a  state  of  feeling, 
never  can  exist  in  a  world  where  moral  evil  has  never 
shed  its  malign  influence. 

Again,  if  we  consider  the  sentiments  and  the  con¬ 
duct  of  many  of  our  Literary  and  Scientific  charac¬ 
ters ,  we  shall  find  that  even  philosophy  has  had  very 
little  influence  in  counteracting  the  stream  of  malig- 
nity,  and  promoting  the  exercise  of  benevolence. 
Do  not  many  of  our  literary  characters  in  their  dis¬ 
putes  frequently  display  as  keen  resentment,  and  as 
malevolent  dispositions,  as  the  professed  warrior  and 
the  man  of  the  world  ?  And  have  they  not  some¬ 
times  resorted  even  to  horsewhips  and  pistols  to  de¬ 
cide  their  contests  ?  In  proof  of  this,  need  I  refer 
to  the  gentlemen  now  or  formerly  connected  with 
the  “  Edinburgh  Magazine,”  “  Blackwood’s  Maga¬ 
zine,”  the  “  London  Magazine,”  the  “  Quarterly 
Review,”  and  other  periodical  works — and  to  the 
mean  jealousies  and  contentions  which  have  been 
displayed,  and  the  scurrilous  paragraphs  which  have 


NEGLECTED  AUTHORS  AND  MEN  OF  SCIENCE.  521 


been  written  by  various  descriptions  of  competitors 
for  literary  fame  ?  Such  a  display  of  temper  and 
conduct  in  men  of  professed  erudition,  is  not  only 
inconsistent  with  moral  principle,  and  the  dignity  of 
true  science,  but  has  a  tendency  to  hold  up  philoso¬ 
phy  and  substantial  knowledge  to  the  scorn  both  of 
the  Christian  and  of  the  political  world. 

Again,  is  it  an  evidence  that  benevolence  forms  a 
prominent  character  in  modern  civilized  society,  when 
philanthropists,  who  have  devoted  their  substance  and 
their  mental  activities  to  the  promotion  of  the  best 
interests  of  mankind  ;  and  when  men  of  science,  who 
have  enlarged  the  sphere  of  our  knowledge,  and  im¬ 
proved  the  useful  arts,  are  suffered  to  pine  away  in 
penury  and  neglect,  and  to  descend  into  the  grave, 
without  even  a  “frail  memorial”  to  mark  the  spot 
where  their  mortal  remains  are  deposited ;  while,  on 
the  warrior,  who  has  driven  the  ploughshare  of  de¬ 
struction  through  the  world,  and  wounded  the  peace 
of  a  thousand  families,  enormous  pensions  are  be¬ 
stowed,  and  trophies  erected  to  perpetuate  his  me¬ 
mory  to  future  generations  ?  And  how  comes  it  to 
pass,  if  benevolence  and  justice  be  distinguishing 
features  of  our  age  and  nation,  that  authors,  whose 
writings  afford  instruction  and  entertainment  to  a 
numerous  public,  are  frequently  suffered  to  pine  away 
in  anxiety  and  distress,  and  to  remain  in  hopeless 
indigence,  while  publishers  and  booksellers  are  fat¬ 
tening  on  the  fruit  of  their  labours?  Yet,  while  we 
leave  them  to  remain  in  abject  penury  during  life, 
— no  sooner  have  their  spirits  taken  their  flight  to 
the  world  unknown,  than  subscriptions  are  set  on 
foot,  statues  and  mausoleums  are  erected,  flattering 


522 


PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


inscriptions  are  engraved  on  their  tombs,  and  anni¬ 
versary  dinners  appointed  to  celebrate  their  memo¬ 
ries.  Such  displays  of  liberality  might  have  been 
of  essential  benefit  to  the  individuals,  while  they  so¬ 
journed  within  the  limits  of  this  sublunary  sphere; 
but  they  are  altogether  futile  and  superfluous  in  re¬ 
lation  to  the  separate  spirits,  which  are  now  placed 
for  ever  beyond  the  reach  of  such  vain  pageantry  and 
posthumous  honours. 

If  we  now  attend  to  the  Penal  Codes  of  civilized 
nations,  we  shall  find  them,  not  only  glaringly  de¬ 
ficient  in  a  spirit  of  benevolence,  but  deeply  imbued 
with  a  spirit  of  cruelty  and  revenge.  The  great 
object  of  all  civil  punishments  ought  to  be,  not  only 
the  prevention  of  crimes,  but  also  the  reformation  of 
the  criminal,  in  order  that  a  conviction  of  the  evil  of 
his  conduct  may  be  impressed  upon  his  mind,  and 
that  he  may  be  restored  to  society  as  a  renovated 
character.  When  punishments  are  inflicted  with  a 
degree  of  severity  beyond  what  is  necessary  to  ac¬ 
complish  these  ends,  the  code  which  sanctions  them 
becomes  an  engine  of  cruelty  and  injustice.  But, 
the  reformation,  and  the  ultimate  happiness  of  the 
criminal  never  seems  to  have  been  once  taken  into 
consideration,  in  the  construction  of  the  criminal  codes 
of  any  nation  in  Europe.  The  infliction  of  pain, 
and  even  of  torture ,  and  of  every  thing  that  is  de¬ 
grading  and  horrible,  to  a  degree  far  beyond  what  is 
necessary  for  the  security  of  the  public,  and  which 
has  no  other  tendency  than  to  harden  the  culprit, 
seems  to  have  been  the  great  object  of  the  framers  of 
our  penal  statutes.  If  a  man  has  committed  a  crime, 
he  is  either  confined  to  a  jail,  thrown  into  a  dungeon, 


SYSTEM  OF  PRISON  DISCIPLINE. 


523 


loaded  with  irons,  whipped  through  the  streets,  ban¬ 
ished  to  a  distant  land,  hung  upon  a  gallows,  or 
broken  on  the  wheel.  No  system  of  moral  regimen 
calculated  to  counteract  his  criminal  habits,  to  impart 
instruction  to  his  mind,  and  to  induce  habits  of  in¬ 
dustry  and  temperance,  (except  in  a  few  insulated 
cases,)  has  yet  been  arranged  by  our  legislators  ;  so  as 
to  render  punishment  a  blessing  to  the  criminal,  and 
to  the  community  which  he  has  injured. 

The  following  circumstances,  in  relation  to  pun¬ 
ishments,  manifest  a  principle  both  of  folly  and  of 
malignity  in  the  arrangements  of  our  criminal  juris¬ 
prudence. — In  the  first  place,  The  present  system  of 
our  prison  discipline,  instead  of  operating  to  prevent 
the  increase  of  crime,  has  a  direct  and  inevitable 
tendency  to  produce  vice  and  wretchedness,  and  to 
render  our  jails  the  nurseries  of  every  depraved  pro¬ 
pensity,  and  of  every  species  of  moral  turpitude. 
From  the  indiscriminate  association  of  the  young  and 
the  old,  and  of  persons  charged  with  every  degree  of 
criminality,  the  youthful  and  inexperienced  culprit 
is  soon  tutored  in  all  the  arts  of  fraud,  deception,  and 
robbery,  and  prepared  for  acting  a  more  atrocious 
part  on  the  theatre  of  crime.  “  I  make  no  scruple 
to  affirm,”  says  Mr.  Howard,  “  that,  if  it  were  the  aim 
and  wish  of  magistrates  to  effect  the  destruction,  pre¬ 
sent  and  future,  of  young  delinquents,  they  could  not 
desire  a  more  effectual  method  than  to  confine  them 
in  our  prisons.”  Of  the  truth  of  this  position,  the 
reader  will  find  an  ample  and  impressive  proof  in  the 
Honourable  T.  F.  Buxton’s  “  Inquiry  whether  crime 
and  misery  are  produced  or  prevented  by  our  present 
system  of  Prison  Discipline,” 


524 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


In  the  second  place,  The  disproportion  between 
crimes  and  punishments,  and  the  sanguinary  character 
of  every  civilized  code  of  penal  statutes,  are  directly 
repugnant  to  every  principle  of  justice  and  benevo¬ 
lence.  The  punishment  assigned  by  the  law  to  the 
man  who  steals  a  sheep,  or  pilfers  a  petty  article  of 
merchandise,  is  the  same  as  that  which  it  inflicts  on 
the  miscreant  who  has  imbrued  his  hands  in  his 
father’s  blood.  In  France,  prior  to  the  revolution, 
the  punishment  of  robbery,  either  with  or  without 
murder,  was  the  same  ;  and  hence  it  happened,  that 
robbery  was  seldom  or  never  perpetrated  without 
murder.  For,  when  men  see  no  distinction  made  in 
the  nature  and  gradations  of  punishment,  they  will 
be  generally  led  to  conclude,  that  there  is  no  dis¬ 
tinction  in  the  guilt.  In  our  own  country,  it  is  a 
melancholy  truth,  that,  among  the  variety  of  actions 
which  men  are  daily  liable  to  commit,  no  less  than 
one  hundred  and  sixty  have  been  declared,  by  act  of 
parliament,  to  be  felonies,  without  benefit  of  clergy; 
or,  in  other  words,  to  be  worthy  of  instant  death.* 
It  is  an  indelible  disgrace  to  an  age  which  boasts  of 
*  being  enlightened  with  the  beams  of  science  and  of 
religion,  that  laws,  framed  in  an  ignorant  and  bar¬ 
barous  age,  and  intended  to  apply  to  temporary  or 
fortuitous  occurrences,  should  still  be  acted  upon, 
and  stand  unrepealed  in  the  criminal  codes  of  the 
nations  of  Europe,  in  the  19th  century  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  era,  when  so  many  distinguished  writers  have 
demonstrated  their  futility,  their  injustice,  and  their 
inadequacy  for  the  prevention  of  crime.  For,  in- 


*  Encyc.  Brit.,  Art.  Crime. 


SHOCKING  CRUELTIES. 


525 


stead  of  diminishing  the  number  of  offenders,  experi¬ 
ence  proves,  that  crimes  are  almost  uniformly  in¬ 
creased,  by  an  undue  severity  of  punishment.  This 
was  strikingly  exemplified  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
VIII.  remarkable  for  the  abundance  of  its  crimes, 
which  certainly  did  not  arise  from  the  mildness  of 
punishment.  In  that  reign  alone,  says  his  historian, 
seventy-two  thousand  executions  took  place,  for  rob¬ 
beries  alone,  exclusive  of  the  religious  murders,  which 
are  known  to  have  been  numerous, — amounting,  on 
an  average,  to  six  executions  a-day ,  Sundays  in¬ 
cluded,  during  the  whole  reign  of  that  monarch. 

In  the  next  place,  The  shockiny  and  unnecessary 
cruelties  which  are  frequently  inflicted  upon  crimi¬ 
nals,  are  inconsistent  with  every  principle  of  reason 
and  of  justice,  and  revolting  to  every  feeling  of  hu¬ 
manity.  If  the  forfeiture  of  life  ought,  in  any  case, 
to  be  resorted  to,  as  the  punishment  of  certain  crimes, 
humanity  dictates,  that  it  should  be  accompanied 
with  as  little  pain  as  possible  to  the  unfortunate 
criminal.  But  man,  even  civilized  man ,  bas  glutted 
his  savage  disposition,  by  inventing  tortures  to  agon¬ 
ize  his  fellow-man,  at  which  humanity  shudders.  It 
is  not  enough,  that  a  poor  unfortunate  wretch,  in 
the  prime  of  life,  whom  depravity  has  hurried  to  the 
commission  of  crime,  should  be  deprived  of  his  mor¬ 
tal  existence, — his  soul  must  be  harrowed  up  at  the 
prospect  of  the  prolonged  torments  which  he  must 
endure,  before  his  spirit  is  permitted  to  take  its  flight 
to  the  world  unknown.  Instead  of  simply  strangling 
or  beheading  the  unhappy  criminal,  his  flesh  must 
be  torn  with  pincers,  his  bones  dislocated,  his  hands 
chopped  off,  or  his  body  left  to  pine  away  in  exquisite 


526 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


torments,  amidst  devouring  flames.  In  Sweden, 
murder  is  punished  by  beheading  and  quartering, 
after  having  previously  chopped  off*  the  hand.  In 
Germany,  Poland,  Italy,  and  other  parts  of  the  Con¬ 
tinent,  it  was  customary,  and  I  believe  still  is,  in 
some  places,  to  put  criminals  to  death  by  breaking 
them  alive  on  the  wheel.  The  following  account  is 
given,  by  a  traveller,  who  was  in  Berlin,  in  1819,  of 
the  execution  of  a  man  for  murder,  which  shows  that 
the  execution  of  criminals,  in  Prussia,  is  frequently 
distinguished  by  a  species  of  cruelty  worthy  of  the 
worst  days  of  the  inquisition.  Amidst  the  parade  of 
executioners,  officers  of  police,  and  other  judicial 
authorities,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the  waving  of 
flags  and  colours,  the  criminal  mounted  the  scaffold. 
No  ministers  of  religion  appeared  to  gild  the  horrors 
of  eternity,  and  to  sooth  the  agonies  of  the  criminal; 
and  no  repentant  prayer  closed  his  quivering  lips. 
“  Never,”  says  the  narrator,  “  shall  I  forget  the  one 
bitter  look  of  imploring  agony  that  he  threw  around 
him,  as,  immediately  on  stepping  on  the  scaffold,  his 
coat  was  rudely  torn  from  oft’  his  shoulders.  He  was 
then  thrown  down,  the  cords  fixed  round  his  neck, 
which  were  drawn  until  strangulation  almost  com- 
menced.  Another  executioner  then  approached, 
bearing  in  his  hands  a  heavy  wheel,  bound  with  iron, 
with  which  he  violently  struck  the  legs,  arms,  and 
chest,  and  lastly  the  head  of  the  criminal.  I  was, 
unfortunately,  near  enough  to  witness  his  mangled 
and  bleeding  body  still  convulsed.  It  was  then  car¬ 
ried  down  for  interment,  and,  in  less  than  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  from  the  beginning  of  his  torture,  the 
corpse  was  completely  covered  with  earth.  Several 


CRUEL  PUNISHMENTS. 


527 


large  stones,  which  were  thrown  upon  him,  hastened, 
his  last  gasp  :  he  was  mangled  into  eternity  !” 

In  Russia,  the  severest  punishments  are  inflicted 
lor  the  most  trivial  offences.  The  knout  is  one  of 
the  most  common  punishments  in  that  country. 
This  instrument  is  a  thong  made  of  the  skin  of  an 
elk  or  of  a  wild  ass,  so  hard  that  a  single  stroke  is 
capable  of  cutting  the  flesh  to  the  bone. — The  fol¬ 
lowing  description  is  given  by  Olearius,  of  the  man¬ 
ner  in  which  he  saw  the  knout  inflicted  on  eight  men, 
and  one  woman ,  only  for  selling  brandy  and  tobacco 
without  a  license.  “  The  executioner’s  man,  after 
stripping  them  down  to  the  waist,  tied  their  feet,  and 
took  one  at  a  time  on  his  back.  The  executioner 
stood  at  three  paces  distance,  and,  springing  forward 
with  a  knout  in  his  hand, — wherever  he  struck,  the 
blood  gushed  out  at  every  blow.  The  men  had  each 
twenty- five  or  twenty- six  lashes  ;  the  woman,  though 
only  sixteen,  fainted  away.  After  their  backs  were 
thus  dreadfully  mangled,  they  were  tied  together 
two  and  two ;  and  those  who  sold  tobacco  having  a 
little  of  it,  and  those  who  sold  brandy  a  little  bottle 
put  about  their  necks  ;  they  were  then  whipped 
through  the  city  of  Petersburgh  for  about  a  mile  and 
a  half,  and  then  brought  back  to  the  place  of  their 
punishment  and  dismissed.”  This  is  what  is  termed 
the  moderate  knout ;  for  when  it  is  given  with  the 
utmost  severity,  the  executioner,  striking  the  flank 
under  the  ribs,  cuts  the  flesh  to  the  bowels :  and 
therefore,  it  is  no  wonder  that  many  die  of  this  in¬ 
human  punishment. — The  punishment  of  the  pirates 
and  robbers  who  infest  the  banks  of  the  Wolga,  is 
another  act  of  savage  cruelty  common  in  Russia. 


528 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


A  float  is  built,  whereon  a  gallows  is  erected,  on 
which  is  fastened  a  number  of  iron  hooks,  and  on 
these  the  wretched  criminals  are  hung  alive  by  the 
ribs.  The  float  is  then  launched  into  the  stream, 
and  orders  are  given  to  all  the  towns  and  villages  on 
the  borders  of  the  river,  that  none,  upon  pain  of 
death,  shall  afford  the  least  relief  to  any  of  these 
wretches.  These  malefactors  sometimes  hang,  in 
this  manner,  three,  four,  and  even  five  days  alive. 
The  pain  produces  a  raging  fever,  in  which  they 
utter  the  most  horrid  imprecations,  imploring  the  re¬ 
lief  of  water  and  other  liquors.*  During  the  reign 
of  Peter  the  Great,  the  robbers  who  infested  various 
parts  of  his  dominions,  particularly  the  banks  of  the 
Wolga,  were  hung  up  in  this  manner  by  hundreds 
and  thousands,  and  left  to  perish  in  the  most  dread¬ 
ful  manner.  Even  yet,  the  boring  of  the  tongue, 
and  the  cutting  of  it  out,  are  practised  in  this  coun¬ 
try  as  an  inferior  species  of  punishment.  Such  cruel 
punishments,  publicly  inflicted,  can  have  no  othei 
tendency  than  to  demoralize  the  minds  of  the  popu¬ 
lation,  to  blunt  their  natural  feelings,  and  to  render 
criminal  characters  still  more  desperate :  and  hence 
we  need  not  wonder  at  what  travellers  affirm  respec¬ 
ting  the  Russians,  that  they  are  very  indifferent  as 
to  life  or  death,  and  undergo  capital  punishments 
with  unparalleled  apathy. 

Even  among  European  nations  more  civilized  than 
the  Russians,  similar  tortures  have  been  inflicted 
upon  criminals.  The  execution  of  Damiens  in  175  /, 

*  See  Hanway’s  “Travels  through  Russia  and  Persia” — Sal¬ 
mon’s  “Present  State  ol  all  Nations,’  vol.  vi. — Guthiies  Geo¬ 
graphy,  &c. 


CRUEL  PUNISHMENTS. 


529 


for  attempting  to  assassinate  Louis  XV.  king  of 
France,  was  accompanied  with  tortures,  the  descrip¬ 
tion  of  which  is  sufficient  to  harrow  up  the  feelings 
of  the  most  callous  mind — tortures  which  could 
scarcely  have  been  exceeded  in  intensity  and  variety, 
although  they  had  been  devised  by  the  ingenuity  of 
an  infernal  fiend.  And  yet  they  were  beheld  with  a 
certain  degree  of  apathy  by  a  surrounding  populace; 
and  even  councillors  and  physicians  could  talk  toge¬ 
ther  about  the  best  mode  of  tearing  asunder  the  limbs 
of  the  wretched  victim,  with  as  much  composure  as  if 
they  had  been  dissecting  a  dead  subject,  or  carving  a 
pullet.  Even  in  Britain,  at  no  distant  period,  simi¬ 
lar  cruelties  were  practised.  Those  who  are  guilty 
of  high  treason  are  condemned,  by  our  law,  “  to  be 
hanged  on  a  gallows  for  some  minutes;  then  cut 
down,  while  yet  alive ,  the  heart  to  be  taken  out  and 
exposed  to  public  view,  and  the  entrails  burned.” 
Though  the  most  cruel  part  of  this  sentence  has  never 
been  actually  inflicted  in  our  times,  yet  it  is  a  disgrace 
to  Britons  that  such  a  statute  should  still  stand  un¬ 
repealed  in  our  penal  code. — The  practice,  too,  of 
torturing  supposed  criminals,  for  the  purpose  of  ex¬ 
torting  a  confession  of  guilt,  was,  till  a  late  period, 
common  over  all  the  countries  of  Europe ;  and,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  is  still  resorted  to  in  several  parts 
of  the  continent.  Hence,  Baron  Bielfeld,  in  his 
“  Elements  of  Universal  Erudition,”  published  in 
1770,  lays  down  as  one  of  the  branches  of  criminal 
jurisprudence,  “  The  different  kinds  of  tortures  for 
the  discovery  of  truth.”  Such  a  practice  is  not  only 
cruel  and  unjust,  but  repugnant  to  every  principle  of 
reason.  For,  as  the  Marquis  Beccaria  has  well  ob- 
d.  2.  z 


530 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


served,  “  It  is  confounding  all  relations,  to  expect 
that  a  man  should  be  both  the  accuser  and  the  accused, 
and  that  pain  should  be  the  test  of  truth  ;  as  if  truth 
resided  in  the  muscles  and  fibres  of  a  wretch  in  tor¬ 
ture.  By  this  method,  the  robust  will  escape,  and 
the  feeble  be  condemned.  To  discover  truth  by  this 
method,  is  a  problem  which  may  be  better  resolved 
by  a  mathematician  than  a  judge,  and  may  be  thus 
stated  :  The  force  of  the  muscles  and  the  sensibility  of 
the  nerves  of  an  innocent  person  being  given,  it  is  re¬ 
quired  to  find  the  degree  of  pain  necessary  to  make 
him  confess  himself  guilty  of  a  given  crime 


*  See  Beccaria’s  “  Essay  on  Crimes  and  Punishments,”  pp.  52, 
56.  The  following  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  principal  punish¬ 
ments  that  have  been  adopted  by  men  in  different  countries,  for 
tormenting  and  destroying  each  other: — Capital  punishments — 
Beheading,  strangling,  crucifixion,  drowning,  burning,  roasting, 
hanging  by  the  neck,  the  arm,  or  the  leg;  starving,  sawing,  ex¬ 
posing  to  wild  beasts,  rending  asunder  by  horses  drawing  oppo¬ 
site  ways;  shooting,  burying  alive,  blowing  from  the  mouth  of  a 
cannon,  compulsory  deprivation  of  sleep,  rolling  in  a  barrel  stuck 
with  nails,  cutting  to  pieces,  hanging  by  the  ribs,  poisoning,  press¬ 
ing  slowly  to  death  by  a  weight  laid  on  the  breast ;  casting  head¬ 
long  from  a  rock,  tearing  out  the  bowels,  pulling  to  pieces  with 
red  hot  pincers,  stretching  on  the  rack,  breaking  on  the  wheel, 
impaling,  flaying  alive,  cutting  out  the  heart,  &c.  &c.  &c.  Pun¬ 
ishments  short  of  death  have  been  such  as  the  following — Fine,  pil¬ 
lory,  imprisonment;  compulsory  labour  at  the  mines,  galleys, 
highways,  or  correction-house;  whipping,  bastonading;  mutila¬ 
tion,  by  cutting  away  the  ears,  the  nose,  the  tongue,  the  breasts 
of  women,  the  foot,  the  hand;  squeezing  the  marrow  from  tie 
bones  with  screws  or  wedges,  castration,  putting  out  the  eyes ; 
banishment,  running  the  gauntlet,  drumming,  shaving  off  the  hair, 
burning  on  the  hand  or  forehead;  and  many  others  of  a  similar 
nature.  Could  the  ingenuity  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tophet  have 
invented  punishments  more  cruel  and  revolting?  Has  any  one 
of  these  modes  of  punishment  a  tendency  to  reform  the  criminal, 
and  promote  his  happiness?  On  the  contrary,  have  they  not  all 
a  direct  tendency  to  irritate,  to  harden,  and  to  excite  feelings  of 
revenge  !  Nothing  shows  the  malevolent  dispositions  of  a  great 
portion  of  the  human  race,  in  so  striking  a  light,  as  the  punish- 


SLAVE  TRADE. 


531 


If  the  confined  limits  of  the  present  work  had 
admitted,  I  might  have  prosecuted  these  illustrations 
to  a  much  greater  extent.  I  might  have  traced  the 
operations  of  malevolence  in  the  practice  of  that 
abominable  traffic,  the  Slave  Trade — the  eternal  dis¬ 
grace  of  individuals  and  of  nations  calling  themselves 
civilized.  This  is  an  abomination  which  has  been 
encouraged  by  almost  every  nation  in  Europe,  and 
even  by  the  enlightened  States  of  America.  To 
the  disgrace  of  America,  that  boasted  land  of  liberty, 
slavery  exists  throughout  all  the  states ;  but  espe¬ 
cially  in  the  southern  states,  slavery  in  its  most 
cruel  and  degrading  forms  still  exists:  and  every 
proposition  for  restoring  the  negroes  to  their  natural 
liberty,  and  to  the  rank  which  they  hold  in  the  scale 
of  existence,  is  pertinaciously  resisted  by  gentlemen 
who  would  spurn  at  the  idea  of  being  considered  as 
either  infidels  or  barbarians.  They  even  attempt  to 
deprive  these  degraded  beings  of  thechance  of  obtain¬ 
ing  a  happier  existence  in  a  future  world,  by  with¬ 
holding  from  them  the  means  of  in  struction,  and  per¬ 
secuting  their  instructors.  Is  such  conduct  consistent 
with  the  spirit  of  benevolence,  or  even  with  the  com¬ 
mon  feelings  of  humanity?* * — I  might  have  traced  the 

ments  they  have  inflicted  on  one  another;  for  these  are  charac¬ 
teristic,  not  of  insulated  individuals  only,  hut  of  nations  in  their 
collective  capacity. 

*  To  the  honourof  Great  Britain,  she  has,  by  an  act,  which  not 
less  distinguishes  her  for  its  justice  than  for  its  humanity,  eman¬ 
cipated  her  slaves  from  their  long-continued  bondage.  With  a 
generosity  which  is  unexampled,  her  people  nobly  consented  to 
pay  Twenty  Millions  sterling,  as  the  price  of  theirfreedom.  And 
thus  the  people  of  Great  Britain,  who  stand  distinguished  above 
all  other  nations  for  freedom,  intelligence,  and  Christian  worth, 
have  set  an  example  in  this  respect  also,  to  other  nations,  worthy 
of  their  imitation  ;  and  every  Briton  must  rejoice  that  this  foul 

z  2 


532 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


same  malignant  principle  in  the  practice  of  a  set  of 
men  denominated  wreckers ,  who,  by  setting  up  false 
lights,  allure  mariners  to  destruction,  that  they  may 
enrich  themselves  by  plundering  the  wrecks — in  the 
warlike  dispositions  of  all  the  governments  of  Eu¬ 
rope,  and  the  enormous  sums  which  have  been  ex¬ 
pended  in  the  work  of  devastation,  and  of  human 
destruction,  while  they  have  refused  to  give  the  least 
direct  encouragement  to  philanthropic  institutions, 
and  to  the  improvement  of  the  community  in  know¬ 
ledge  and  virtue — and  in  that  spirit  of  tyranny,  and 
thirst  for  despotic  power,  which  have  led  them  to 
crush  the  rising  intelligence  of  the  people,  and  to 
lend  a  deaf  ear  to  their  most  reasonable  demands. 
For  there  is  no  government  on  this  side  of  the  At¬ 
lantic,  so  far  as  I  know,  that  has  ever  yet  formed  an 
institution  for  promoting  the  objects  of  general  be¬ 
nevolence,  for  counteracting  the  baleful  effects  of 
depravity  and  ignorance,  and  for  enlightening  the 
minds  of  the  people  in  useful  knowledge ;  or  which 
has  even  contributed  a  single  mite  to  encourage  such 
institutions  after  they  were  set  on  foot  by  the  people 
themselves.  Knowledge  is  simply  permitted  to  be 
diffused;  it  is  never  directly  encouraged  ;  its  progress 
is  frequently  obstructed;  and,  in  some  instances,  it 
is  positively  interdicted,  as  appears  from  the  following 
barbarous  edict,  published  in  the  year  1825 : — “  A 
Royal  Sardinian  Edict  directs,  that  henceforth  no 
person  shall  learn  to  read  or  write  who  cannot  prove 
the  possession  of  property  above  the  value  of  1500 
livres,  (or  about  £60  sterling.)  The  qualification 


stain  in  his  country’s  history  has  been,  by  one  generous  act,  for 
ever  swept  away. 


STATE  OF  MORALS  IN  POLAND. 


533 


for  a  student  is  the  possession  of  an  income  to  the 
same  amount.”*  Such  is  the  firm  determination  of 
many  of  the  kings  and  princes  of  Europe,  to  hold 
their  subjects  in  abject  slavery  and  ignorance,  that 
they  will  rather  suffer  their  thrones  to  shake  and 
totter  beneath  them,  than  give  encouragement  to  li¬ 
beral  opinions,  and  to  the  general  diffusion  of  know¬ 
ledge. — But,  instead  of  illustrating  such  topics  in 
minute  detail,  I  shall  conclude  this  section  by  present¬ 
ing  a  few  miscellaneous  facts,  tending  to  corroborate 
several  of  the  preceding  statements,  and  to  illustrate 
the  moral  state  of  the  civilized  world. 

The  following  statement,  extracted  from  “  Neale’s 
Travels  through  Germany,  Poland,  and  Turkey,” 
exhibits  a  faint  picture  of  the  state  of  morals  in  Po¬ 
land.  “  If  ever  there  was  a  country,”  says  Mr. 
Neale,  “  where  ‘  might  constitutes  right,’  that  coun¬ 
try  was  Poland  prior  to  its  partition.”  The  most 
dreadful  oppression,  the  most  execrable  tyranny,  the 
most  wanton  cruelties,  were  daily  exercised  by  the 
nobles  upon  their  unfortunate  peasants. — Let  us 
quote  a  few  facts ;  they  will  speak  volumes.  A  Po¬ 
lish  peasant’s  life  was  held  of  the  same  value  with 
one  of  his  horned  cattle  :  if  his  lord  slew  him,  he  was 
fined  only  100  Polish  florins,  or  £2 :  16s.  sterling. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  a  man  of  ignoble  birth  dared 
to  raise  his  hand  against  a  nobleman,  death  was  the 
inevitable  punishment.  If  any  one  presumed  to  ques¬ 
tion  the  nobility  of  a  magnate,  he  was  forced  to  prove 
his  assertion,  or  suffer  death.  Nay,  if  a  powerful  man 
chose  to  take  a  fancy  to  the  field  of  his  humbler  neigh- 


*  Hamburgh  Paper,  August,  1825. 


534 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


bour,  and  to  erect  a  landmark  upon  it,  and  if  that 
landmark  remained  for  three  days,  the  poor  man  lost 
his  possession.  The  atrocious  cruelties  that  were 
habitually  exercised,  are  hardly  credible.  A  masalki 
caused  his  hounds  to  devour  a  peasant  who  happened 
to  frighten  his  horse.  A  radzivil  had  the  belly  of 
one  of  his  subjects  ripped  open,  to  thrust  his  feet  into 
it,  hoping  thereby  to  be  cured  of  a  malady  that  tor¬ 
mented  him. 

One  of  the  most  infallible  signs  of  a  degraded 
state  of  morals  in  any  country,  is  the  corrupt  admini¬ 
stration  of  justice.  As  specimens  of  Polish  justice, 
Mr.  Neale  mentions  the  case  of  a  merchant  of  War¬ 
saw,  whom  it  cost  1400  ducats  to  procure  the  con¬ 
viction  and  execution  of  two  robbers  who  had  plun¬ 
dered  him ;  and  another  case  still  more  flagrant,  that 
of  a  peasant  who  had  apprehended  an  assassin,  and 
who,  on  taking  him  to  the  Staroste,  was  coolly  dis¬ 
missed  with  his  prisoner,  and  the  corpse  of  the  mur¬ 
dered  person  which  he  had  brought  in  his  waggon  ; 
because  he  had  not  ten  ducats — the  fee  demanded 
by  the  magistrate  for  his  interference. — “  During 
the  reign  of  Stanislaus  Poniatowsky,  a  petty  noble 
having  refused  to  resign  to  Count  Thisenhaus  his 
small  estate,  the  count  invited  him  to  dinner,  as  if 
desirous  of  amicably  adjusting  the  affair;  and  whilst 
the  knight,  in  the  pride  of  his  heart  at  such  unex¬ 
pected  honour,  assiduously  plied  the  bottle,  the  count 
despatched  some  hundreds  of  peasants  with  axes, 
ploughs,  and  waggons,  ordering  the  village,  which 
consisted  only  of  a  few  wooden  buildings,  to  be 
pulled  down,  the  materials  carried  away,  and  the 
plough  to  be  passed  over  the  ground  which  the  vil- 


STATE  OF  MORALS  IN  CUBA. 


535 


lage  had  occupied.  This  was  accordingly  done. 
The  nobleman,  on  his  return  home  in  the  evening, 
could  find  neither  road,  house,  nor  village.  The 
master  and  his  servant  were  alike  bewildered,  and 
knew  not  whether  they  were  dreaming  or  had  lost 
the  power  of  discrimination  ;  but  their  surprise  and 
agony  were  deemed  so  truly  humorous,  that  the 
whole  court  was  delighted  with  the  joke!”  How 
depraved  must  be  the  state  of  moral  feeling,  when 
the  injustice  inflicted  upon  fellow-creatures,  and  the 
miseries  they  endure,  become  the  subjects  of  merri¬ 
ment  and  derision  ! — “  The  morals  of  the  people  of 
Poland,”  says  Mr.  Neale,  “  were,  and  continue  to  be, 
nearly  at  the  lowest  point  of  debasement.  Female 
chastity  is  a  phenomenon ;  while  the  male  sex  are 
proportionally  profligate.  Drunkenness,  gluttony, 
and  sensuality,  prevail  to  a  degree  unknown  in  other 
countries  in  Europe.” 

The  following  extract  from  Mr.  Howison’s  “  Fo¬ 
reign  Scenes  and  Travelling  Recreations,”  will  con¬ 
vey  some  idea  of  the  state  of  morals  in  the  island  of 
Cuba: — “  Nothing  can  be  worse,”  says  Mr.  H. 
“  than  the  state  of  society  in  Havanna.  The  lower 
classes  are  all  alike  dissolute  and  unprincipled.  As¬ 
sassinations  are  so  frequent  that  they  excite  little 
attention ;  and  assault  and  robbery  are  matters  of 
course,  when  a  man  passes  alone  and  at  night  through 
a  solitary  quarter  of  the  town.  Several  assassina¬ 
tions  take  place  in  the  streets  every  week.”  This 
depraved  and  lawless  state  of  things  may  be  ascribed 
to  three  causes :  the  inefficiency  of  the  police ;  the 
love  of  gaming  and  dissipation  that  prevails  among 
the  lower  orders ;  and  the  facility  with  which  absolu- 


536 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tion  of  the  greatest  crimes  may  be  obtained  from  the 
priests.  In  fact,  the  Catholic  religion,  as  it  now 
exists  in  Cuba,  tends  to  encourage  rather  than  to 
check  vice.  We  shall  suppose,  for  example,  that  a 
man  makes  himself  master  of  100  dollars  by  robbing 
or  by  murdering  another,  and  that  the  church  grants 
him  absolution  for  half  the  sum  thus  lawlessly  ob¬ 
tained  ;  it  is  evident  that  he  will  gain  50  dollars  by 
the  whole  transaction,  and  think  himself  as  innocent 
as  he  was  before  he  committed  the  crime.  No  man 
need  mount  the  Havanna  scaffold,  whatever  be  his 
crime,  if  he  has  the  means  of  ministering  to  the 
rapacity  of  the  church,  and  of  bribing  the  civil  au¬ 
thorities.  A  poor  friendless  criminal  is  executed  in 
a  few  days  after  sentence  is  pronounced  upon  him  ; 
but  a  person  of  wealth  and  influence  generally  man¬ 
ages  to  put  off  capital  punishment  for  a  series  of 
years,  and  at  last  to  get  it  commuted  to  fine  and  im¬ 
prisonment.  Of  these  depraved  practices,  Mr. 
Howison  states  several  striking  examples. — Those 
statements  of  Mr.  H.  in  reference  to  the  moral  state 
of  Cuba,  I  find  corroborated  by  a  short  account  of 
this  island,  in  the  Monthly  Magazine  for  March  1 820, 
page  120.  “  They  act  here  very  frequently  those 

sacred  mysteries  which  so  delighted  our  good  fore¬ 
fathers.  I  have  witnessed  (says  the  writer)  the 
triumph  of  the  Ave  Maria,  a  tragi-comedy,  which 
closes  with  the  sudden  appearance,  in  the  midst  of  a 
theatre,  of  a  chivalrous  worthy,  mounted  on  a  real 
horse,  shaking  at  the  end  of  a  lance  the  bloody  head 
of  an  infidel.  This  horrid  exhibition  excited  a  titter 
of  enjoyment  in  all  the  spectators.  The  ladies,  in 
particular,  seemed  to  be  highly  entertained; — no 


DEPRAVITY  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  DANGER.  537 

fainting  fits,  no  nervous  attacks.  How  could  a  mere 
fiction  agonize  the  blunt  feelings  of  women,  hardened 
by  the  spectacle  of  bull-fights,  and  almost  every  day 
meeting  with  the  dead  body  of  some  human  being 
who  has  been  assassinated  ?” 

There  is  no  situation  in  which  human  beings  can 
be  placed,  where  we  should  more  naturally  expect 
the  manifestation  of  benevolent  affections,  than  in 
those  scenes  of  danger  where  all  are  equally  exposed 
to  deep  distress,  and  where  the  exercise  of  sympathy 
and  kindness  is  the  only  thing  that  can  alleviate  the 
anguish  of  the  mind.  When  the  prospect  of  imme¬ 
diate  death,  or  of  prolonged  agonies  even  more  dread¬ 
ful  than  the  simple  pain  of  dissolution,  is  full  before 
the  mind,  one  should  think  that  ferocious  dispositions 
would  be  instantly  curbed,  and  kindly  affections  be¬ 
gin  to  appear.  Yet,  even  in  such  situations,  it  fre¬ 
quently  happens,  that  feelings  of  malevolence,  and  all 
the  depraved  passions,  are  most  powerfully  excited 
to  action. — The  following  facts  will  tend  to  illustrate 
this  remark.  Mr.  Byron  was  shipwrecked,  in  a  vio¬ 
lent  storm,  on  the  coast  of  South  America.  A  moun¬ 
tainous  sea  broke  over  the  ship ;  she  was  laid  on  her 
beam  ends  ;  darkness  surrounded  them  ;  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  but  breakers  all  around ;  and  every  soul  on 
board  looked  upon  the  present  minute  as  his  last. 
“  So  terrible  was  the  scene  of  foaming  breakers 
around  us,”  says  Mr.  B.  “  that  one  of  the  bravest 
men  we  had  could  not  help  expressing  his  dismay  at  it, 
saying,  it  was  too  shocking  a  sight  to  bear.”  Even 
in  this  dreadful  situation,  malignant  passions  began 
to  appear;  and,  like  the  dashing  waves  around,  to 
rage  with  unbounded  violence.  No  sooner  had  the 

z  3 


538 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


morning  thrown  a  ray  of  light  over  the  dismal  gloom, 
and  a  faint  glimpse  of  land  was  perceived,  than  many 
of  the  crew  who,  but  a  few  minutes  before,  had  shown 
the  strongest  signs  of  despair,  and  were  on  their  knees 
praying  for  mercy,  “  grew  extremely  riotous,  broke 
open  every  chest  and  box  that  was  at  hand,  stove  in 
the  heads  of  casks  of  brandy  and  wine,  and  got  so 
drunk  that  some  of  them  were  drowned  on  board, 
and  lay  floating  about  the  decks  for  some  days  after.” 
After  the  greater  part,  to  the  number  of  150  persons, 
had  got  on  shore — the  boatswain  and  some  of  the 
people  would  not  leave  the  ship  so  long  as  there  was 
any  liquor  to  be  got  at ;  they  fell  to  beating  every 
thing  to  pieces  that  came  in  their  way,  and  carrying 
their  intemperance  to  the  greatest  excess,  broke  open 
chests  and  cabins  for  plunder  that  could  be  of  no  use 
to  them.  So  earnest  wrere  they  in  this  wantonness 
of  theft,  that  one  man  had  evidently  been  murdered 
on  account  of  some  division  of  the  spoil,  or  for  the 
sake  of  the  share  that  fell  to  him,  having  all  the  marks 
of  a  strangled  corpse.”  The  same  malignant  dispo¬ 
sitions  were  displayed,  in  numerous  instances,  during 
their  abode  on  the  desolate  island  on  which  they  had 
been  thrown,  notwithstanding  the  hunger,  the  rains, 
the  cold,  and  the  attacks  of  wild  beasts,  to  which  they 
were  all  equally  exposed.* 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  occurrence  that  has  hap¬ 
pened  in  modern  times,  which  so  strikingly  displays 
the  desperate  malignity  of  human  beings  in  the  midst 
of  danger,  as  the  conduct  of  the  crew  of  the  Medusa 
Frigate,  while  tossing  on  the  raft  by  which  they 


* 


Byron’s  Narrative  of  the  Loss  of  the  Wager  Man  of  War. 


DEPRAVITY  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  DANGER.  539 

endeavoured  to  save  themselves,  after  that  vessel 
had  been  shipwrecked.  The  Medusa  was  stranded, 
in  the  month  of  June,  1816,  on  the  bank  of  Arguin, 
near  the  western  coast  of  Africa.  A  raft  was  hastily 
constructed,  which  was  but  scantily  supplied  with  pro¬ 
visions.  There  were  five  boats,  which  contained  in 
all  about  240  persons ;  and,  upon  the  raft,  there 
embarked  about  150  individuals.  The  boats  pushed 
off  in  a  line,  towing  the  raft,  and  assuring  the  people 
on  board  that  they  would  conduct  them  safely  to  land. 
They  had  not  proceeded,  however,  above  two  leagues 
from  the  wreck,  when  they,  one  by  one,  cast  off  the 
tow-lines,  and  abandoned  the  raft  to  its  fate.  By 
this  time  the  raft  had  sunk  below  the  surface  of  the 
water  to  the  depth  of  three  feet  and  a  half,  and  the 
people  were  so  squeezed  one  against  another,  that 
it  was  found  impossible  to  move ;  fore  and  aft  they 
were  up  to  the  middle  in  water.  Night  at  length 
came  on ;  the  wind  freshened ;  the  sea  began  to 
swell ;  about  midnight  the  weather  became  very 
stormy,  and  the  waves  broke  over  them  in  every  di¬ 
rection.  Tossed  by  the  waves  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  and  sometimes  precipitated  into  the  sea;  float¬ 
ing  between  life  and  death ;  mourning  over  their  own 
misfortunes ;  certain  of  perishing,  yet  contending  for 
the  remains  of  existence  with  that  cruel  element  which 
menaced  to  swallow  them  up — such  was  their  situa¬ 
tion  till  break  of  day,  when  a  dreadful  spectacle  pre¬ 
sented  itself.  Ten  or  twelve  unhappy  men,  having 
their  extremities  jammed  between  the  spars  of  the 
raft,  had  perished  in  that  situation,  and  others  had 
been  swept  away  by  the  violence  of  the  waves. — All 
this,  however,  was  nothing  to  the  dreadful  scene  which 


540 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


took  place  the  following  night.  “  Already,”  says 
the  narrator,  “  was  the  moral  character  of  the  people 
greatly  changed.  A  spirit  of  sedition  spread  from 
man  to  man,  and  manifested  itself  by  the  most  furious 
shouts.”  Night  came  on ;  the  heavens  were  ob¬ 
scured  with  thick  clouds ;  the  wind  rose,  and  with  it 
the  sea;  the  waves  broke  over  them  every  moment; 
numbers  were  swept  away,  and  several  poor  wretches 
were  smothered  by  the  pressure  of  their  comrades. 
Both  soldiers  and  sailors  resolved  to  sooth  their  last 
moments  by  drinking  to  excess;  they  became  deaf  to 
the  voice  of  reason ;  boldly  declared  their  intention 
of  murdering  their  officers  ;  and,  cutting  the  ropes 
which  held  the  rafts  together,  one  of  them  seizing  an 
axe,  actually  began  the  dreadful  work.  The  officers 
rushed  forward  to  quell  the  tumult,  and  the  man  with 
the  hatchet  was  the  first  that  fell — the  stroke  of  a 
sabre  terminated  his  existence.  One  fellow  was  de¬ 
tected  secretly  cutting  the  ropes,  and  was  immediately 
thrown  overboard;  others  destroyed  the  shrouds  and 
halyards ;  and  the  masts,  destitute  of  support,  imme¬ 
diately  fell  on  a  captain  of  infantry,  and  broke  his 
thigh ;  he  was  instantly  seized  by  the  soldiers  and 
thrown  into  the  sea,  but  was  saved  by  the  opposite 
party.  About  an  hour  after  midnight  the  insurrec¬ 
tion  burst  forth  anew.  They  rushed  upon  the  offi¬ 
cers  like  desperate  men,  each  having  a  knife  or  a 
sabre  in  his  hand ;  and  such  was  the  fury  of  the  as¬ 
sailants,  that  they  tore  their  flesh,  and  even  their 
clothes,  with  their  teeth.  There  was  no  time  for 
hesitation;  a  general  slaughter  took  place,  and  the 
raft  was  strewed  with  dead  bodies.  On  the  return 
of  day,  it  was  found  that,  in  the  course  of  the  pre- 


DEPRAVITY  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  DANGER.  541 

ceding  night  of  horror,  sixty-jive  of  the  mutineers 
had  perished,  and  two  of  the  small  party  attached  to 
the  officers.  A  third  night  of  horror  approached, 
distinguished  by  the  piercing  cries  of  those  whom 
hunger  and  thirst  devoured ;  and  the  morning’s  sun 
showed  them  a  dozen  unfortunate  creatures  stretched 
lifeless  on  the  raft.  The  fourth  night  was  marked 
by  another  massacre.  Some  Spaniards  and  Italians 
conspired  to  throw  the  rest  into  the  sea.  A  Spa¬ 
niard  was  the  first  to  advance  with  a  drawn  knife ; 
the  sailors  seized  him  and  threw  him  into  the  sea. 
The  Italian,  seeing  this,  jumped  overboard  ;  the  rest 
were  mastered,  and  order  was  restored.  But,  before 
the  ship  Argus  came  to  their  relief,  of  the  150  that 
embarked  on  the  raft,  fifteen  unhappy  creatures  only 
remained,  covered  with  wounds  and  bruises,  almost 
naked,  stripped  of  their  skin,  shrivelled  with  the  rays 
of  the  sun,  their  eyes  hollow,  and  their  countenances 
savage. — Such  are  the  dreadful  effects  of  malignity , 
which  produces  more  sufferings  and  fatal  effects  than 
the  most  tremendous  elements  of  nature  ! 

A  certain  portion  of  the  same  spirit  was  lately  dis¬ 
played,  by  several  individuals,  on  board  the  Kent 
East  Indiaman.  In  the  midst  of  a  most  violent  gale, 
in  the  bay  of  Biscay,  when  the  sea  was  running  moun¬ 
tains  high,  this  vessel,  containing  about  600  persons, 
took  fire,  in  consequence  of  the  spirits  from  a  stoved 
cask  having  communicated  with  a  lamp;  and  all  hopes 
of  safety  became  extinguished,  till  the  ship  Cambria, 
Captain  Cooke,  hove  in  sight.  But  the  danger  of 
passing  from  the  one  ship  to  the  other,  in  boats,  in 
such  a  tempestuous  sea,  rendered  the  preservation  of 
the  passengers  and  crew  in  a  great  degree  doubtful. 


542 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Yet,  in  the  midst  of  the  danger,  the  alarm,  and  the 
anguish  which  accompanied  this  tremendous  scene, 
we  are  told  by  the  narrator,  page  24,  that  “it  was 
suspected  that  one  or  two  of  those  who  perished, 
must  have  sunk  under  the  weight  of  their  spoils ; 
the  same  individuals  having  been  seen  eagerly  plun¬ 
dering  the  cuddy  cabins.”  And,  a  little  afterwards, 
page  31,  he  adds,  “Some  time  after  the  shades  of 
night  had  enveloped  us,  I  descended  to  the  cuddy  in 
quest  of  a  blanket  to  shelter  me  from  the  increasing 
cold ;  and  the  scene  of  desolation  that  there  presented 
itself  was  melancholy  in  the  extreme.  The  place, 
which  only  a  few  short  hours  before  had  been  the 
seat  of  kindly  intercourse  and  of  social  gaiety,  was 
now  entirely  deserted,  save  by  a  few  miserable 
wretches,  who  were  either  stretched  in  irrecoverable 
intoxication  on  the  floor,  or  prowling  about,  like 
beasts  of  prey,  in  search  of  plunder.”* 

The  following  is  a  short  description  of  the  moral 

*  See  a  “Narrative  of  the  Loss  of  the  Kent  East  Indiaman, 
by  Fire,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  on  the  1st  of  March,  1825,  by  a 
Passenger,”  supposed  to  be  Major  Macgregor. — The  humanity 
and  intrepidity  displayed,  amidst  the  heart-rending  scene  which 
this  narrative  describes — by  Captain  Cobb  of  the  Kent;  by  Messrs. 
Thomson,  Fearon,  Macgregor,  and  the  other  officers,  and  many 
of  the  soldiers;  by  Captain  Cooke  of  the  Cambria,  his  crew,  and 
the  Cornish  miners — are  above  all  praise.  Their  benevolent  and 
heroic  conduct  at  that  alarming  crisis,  is  far  more  deserving  of  a 
public  monument  being  raised  for  its  commemoration,  than  that 
of  many  of  our  military  heroes,  in  honour  of  whom  so  many  tro¬ 
phies  have  been  erected.  If  men,  who  have  been  instrumental 
in  destroying  the  lives  and  the  happiness  of  hundreds  and  of  thou¬ 
sands,  have  pensions  bestowed  on  them,  and  are  exalted  to  posts 
of  honour,  surely  those  who  have  exerted  their  energies  in  pre¬ 
serving  the  lives  of  hundreds,  and  in  preventing  the  anguish  of 
thousands,  ought  not  to  be  suffered  to  sink  into  oblivion,  or  to 
pass  unrewarded.  It  is,  I  presume,  one  reason  among  others, 
why  virtue  is  so  little  practised,  that  it  is  seldom  rewarded  ac¬ 
cording  to  its  merits. 


AMERICAN  AMUSEMENTS. 


543 


character  of  the  inhabitants  of  Carolina,  and  of  one 
of  the  amusements  of  a  people  who  boast  of  their  li¬ 
berty  and  civilization, — as  it  is  found  in  “  Morse’s 
American  Geography.”  “The  citizens  of  North 
Carolina  who  are  not  better  employed,  spend  their 
time  in  drinking,  or  gaming  at  cards  or  dice,  in 
cock-fighting,  or  horse-racing.  Many  of  the  inter¬ 
ludes  are  filled  up  with  a  boxing  match ;  and  these 
matches  frequently  become  memorable  by  feats  of 
gouging.  This  delicate  and  entertaining  diversion 
is  thus  performed  : — When  two  boxers  are  worried 
with  fighting  and  bruising  each  other,  they  come,  as 
it  is  called,  to  close  quarters ;  and  each  endeavours 
to  twist  his  forefingers  in  the  ear-locks  of  his  anta- 
gonist.  When  these  are  fast  clenched,  the  thumbs 
are  extended  each  way  to  the  nose,  and  the  eyes 
gently  twined  out  of  their  sockets.  The  victor,  for 
his  expertness,  receives  shouts  of  applause  from  the 
sporting  throng,  ivhile  his  poor  eyeless  antagonist  is 
laughed  at  for  his  misfortune.  In  a  country  that 
pretends  to  any  degree  of  civilization,  one  would 
hardly  expect  to  find  a  prevailing  custom  of  putting 
out  the  eyes  of  each  other.  Yet  this  more  than 
barbarous  custom  is  prevalent  in  both  the  Carolinas, 
and  in  Georgia,  among  the  lower  class  of  people.” — 
“  Lord,  what  is  man  !”  In  a  savage  and  a  civilized 
state — in  infancy  and  manhood — in  his  games  and 
diversions — in  the  instructions  by  which  he  is  trained 
— in  the  remarks  he  makes  upon  his  neighbours — 
in  the  sports  and  amusements  in  which  he  indulges — 
in  his  literary  pursuits  and  lucubrations — in  his  sys¬ 
tem  of  rewards  and  punishments — in  his  intercourses 
and  contests  with  communities  and  nations — in  his 


544 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


commercial  transactions — in  his  judicial  administra¬ 
tions — in  the  height  of  prosperity,  and  in  scenes  of 
danger  and  distress — a  principle  of  malignity  is  for 
ever  operating  to  destroy  his  comforts,  and  under¬ 
mine  the  foundation  of  his  happiness  ! 

The  above  sketches  may  suffice,  as  specimens  of 
some  of  the  prominent  dispositions  of  that  portion  of 
the  human  race  who  have  assumed  to  themselves  the 
character  of  civilized  nations.  It  will  readily  be 
admitted,  that  the  dispositions  displayed  in  the  in¬ 
stances  I  have  selected,  are  all  directly  repugnant  to 
the  principle  of  benevolence  recognised  in  the  divine 
law,  and  tend  to  undermine  the  happiness  of  intelli¬ 
gent  beings.  I  shall  now  conclude  with  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  conduct  of  Christians,  and  of  Christian 
societies  towards  each  other,  and  of  the  leading  traits 
of  character  which  appear  in  the  religious  world. 


SECTION  IV. 

Moral  state  of  the  professing  Christian  world. 

I  have  already  endeavoured  to  show,  that  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  a  religion  of  love ;  that  its  facts,  its  doc¬ 
trines,  and  its  moral  precepts,  are  all  calculated  to  pro¬ 
mote  “  peace  on  earth,”  and  to  form  mankind  into 
one  affectionate  and  harmonious  society.  This  happy 
effect,  in  the  first  instance,  it  actually  produced. 
We  are  told,  in  the  history  of  the  Apostles,  that  the 
multitudes  who  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith, 
by  the  powerful  sermon  delivered  by  Peter  on  the  day 


MORAL  STATE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  WORLD.  545 


of  Pentecost,  had  their  malignant  propensities  sub¬ 
dued,  and  their  minds  animated  with  an  ardent  affec¬ 
tion  for  each  other  :  and,  as  a  practical  proof  of  the 
operation  of  this  noble  principle,  “  they  had  all  things 
common,  and  sold  their  possessions  and  goods,  and 
parted  them  to  all,  as  every  one  had  need.”  Dur¬ 
ing  the  early  ages  of  Christianity,  a  goodly  portion 
of  the  same  spirit  was  manifested  by  the  greater  part 
of  those  who  had  enrolled  themselves  as  the  disciples 
of  Christ.  Even  in  the  midst  of  the  severe  perse¬ 
cutions  to  which  they  were  subjected  during  the  two 
first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  a  meek  and 
forgiving  disposition,  and  a  spirit  of  benevolence, 
towards  one  another,  and  towards  all  men,  distin¬ 
guished  them  from  the  heathen  around,  and  con¬ 
strained  even  their  enemies  to  exclaim,  “  Behold 
how  these  Christians  love  one  another  !” — But  in 
the  reign  of  Constantine,  the  native  purity  of  the 
Christian  Church  began  to  be  tainted,  and  Pagan 
maxims,  and  worldly  ambition,  began  to  be  blend¬ 
ed  with  the  pure  precepts  and  the  sublime  doc¬ 
trines  of  the  Gospel.  Many  of  its  professed  ad¬ 
herents,  overlooking  the  grand  practical  bear¬ 
ings  of  the  Christian  system,  began  to  indulge  in 
vain  speculations  on  its  mysterious  doctrines,  to 
substitute  a  number  of  unmeaning  rites  and  cere¬ 
monies  in  the  room  of  love  to  God  and  to  man,  and 
even  to  persecute  and  destroy  all  those  who  re¬ 
fused  to  submit  to  their  opinions  and  decisions. 
Pride,  and  a  desire  of  domination,  usurped  the  place 
of  meekness  and  humility;  and  the  foolish  mum¬ 
meries  of  monastic  superstition,  and  the  austerities 
of  the  Ascetics,  were  substituted  in  the  room  of  the 


546 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


active  duties  of  justice  and  beneficence.  Saints 
were  deified ;  the  power  of  the  clergy  was  aug¬ 
mented  ;  celibacy  was  extolled  ;  religious  processions 
were  appointed;  pilgrimages  were  undertaken  to  the 
tombs  of  martyrs ;  monasteries  and  nunneries,  with¬ 
out  number,  were  erected  ;  prayers  were  offered  up 
to  departed  saints  ;  the  Virgin  Mary  was  recognised 
as  a  species  of  inferior  deity ;  the  sign  of  the  cross 
was  venerated  as  capable  of  securing  victory  in  all 
kinds  of  trials  and  calamities,  and  as  the  surest 
defence  against  the  influence  of  malignant  spirits ; 
the  bishops  aspired  after  wealth,  magnificence,  and 
splendour ;  errors  in  religion  were  punished  with 
civil  penalties  and  bodily  tortures ;  and  the  most 
violent  disputes  and  contentions  convulsed  every 
section  of  the  Christian  world  ;  while  the  mild  and 
beneficent  virtues  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  were  either 
discarded  or  thrown  into  the  shade. 

Of  these,  and  similar  practices,  details  might  be 
exhibited  which  would  fill  many  volumes,  and  would 
carry  conviction  to  every  mind,  that  the  true  glory 
of  Christianity  was  sadly  obscured,  and  its  heavenly 
spirit  almost  extinguished,  amidst  superstitious  ob¬ 
servances,  vain  speculations,  and  angry  feuds  and 
contentions.  Millot,  when  adverting  to  the  state  of 
the  Church  in  the  days  of  Constantine  and  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  emperors,  justly  remarks  :  “  The  disciples  of 
Christ  were  inspired  with  mutual  feuds,  still  more 
implacable  and  destructive  than  the  factions  which 
were  formed  for  or  against  different  emperors.  The 
spirit  of  contention  condemned  by  St.  Paul  became 
almost  universal.  New  sects  spung  up  incessantly, 
and  combated  each  other.  Each  boasted  its  apostles, 


EARLY  AGES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


547 


gave  its  sophisms  for  divine  oracles,  pretended  to  be 
the  depository  of  the  faith,  and  used  every  effort  to 
draw  the  multitude  to  its  standard.  The  Church 
was  filled  with  discord :  bishops  anathematized  bish¬ 
ops;  violence  was  called  in  to  the  aid  of  argument, 
and  the  folly  of  princes  fanned  the  flame  which 
spread  with  so  destructive  rage.  They  played  the 
theologists,  attempted  to  command  opinions,  and 
punished  those  whom  they  could  not  convince.  The 
laws  against  idolaters  were  soon  extended  to  heretics ; 
but,  what  one  emperor  proscribed  as  heretical,  was  to 
another  sound  doctrine.  What  was  the  conse¬ 
quence  ?  The  clergy,  whose  influence  was  already 
great  at  court,  and  still  greater  among  the  people, 
began  to  withdraw  from  the  sovereign  authority  that 
respect  which  religion  inspires.  The  popular  fer¬ 
ments  being  heightened  by  the  animosity  of  the 
clergy — prince,  country,  law,  and  duty,  were  no  longer 
regarded.  Men  were  Arians,  Donatists,  Priscil- 
lianists,  Nestorians,  Eutychians,  &c.  but  no  longer 
citizens ;  or  rather,  every  man  became  the  mortal 
enemy  of  those  citizens  whose  opinions  he  condemned. 
— This  unheard-of  madness  for  irreconcilable  quar¬ 
rels  on  subjects  that  ought  to  have  been  referred  to 
the  judgment  of  the  Church,  never  abated  amidst  the 
most  dreadful  disasters.  Every  sect  formed  a  differ¬ 
ent  party  in  the  state,  and  their  mutual  animosities 
conspired  to  sap  its  foundations.”  * 

At  the  period  to  which  these  observations  refer, 
it  appears  that  two  erroneous  maxims  generally  pre¬ 
vailed,  which  tended  to  undermine  the  moral  system 


*  Millot’s  History,  Vol.  i. 


548 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  revelation,  and  which  were  productive  of  almost 
alljthe  tumults,  massacres,  and  disasters,  which  dis¬ 
tinguished  that  era  of  the  Christian  church.  These 
were, —  1.  That  religion  consists  chieflv  in  the  belief 
of  certain  abstract  and  incomprehensible  dogmas,  and 
in  the  performance  of  a  multitude  of  external  rites 
and  ceremonies :  and,  2.  That  all  heresies  or  differ¬ 
ences  of  opinion  on  religious  points,  ought  to  be  ex¬ 
tirpated  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  civil  power.  Than 
such  maxims,  nothing  can  be  more  repugnant  to  rea¬ 
son,  more  subversive  of  genuine  morality,  or  more 
inconsistent  with  the  spirit  and  genius  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion.  And  yet,  to  this  very  hour,  they  are 
recognised  and  acted  upon  by  more  than  three-fourths 
of  the  Christian  world,  notwithstanding  the  melan¬ 
choly  examples  which  history  has  furnished  of  their 
futility,  and  their  pernicious  tendency.- — The  narrow 
limits  to  which  I  am  confined  will  permit  me  to  state 
only  two  or  three  instances  in  reference  to  the  period 
to  which  I  allude. 

Theodosius,  one  of  the  emperors,  who  commenced 
his  reign  in  the  year  379,  and  who  received  baptism 
during  a  dangerous  distemper,  in  the  second  year  of 
it,  professed  great  zeal  in  favour  of  religion.  By  a 
law  addressed  to  the  people  of  Constantinople,  he 
enacted,  “  That  all  subjects  shall  profess  the  catho¬ 
lic  faith  with  regard  to  the  article  of  the  Trinity ; 
and  that  they  who  do  not  conform  shall  ignomini- 
ously  be  called  heretics,  until  they  shall  feel  the 
vengeance  of  God  and  our  own,  according  as  it  shall 
please  Divine  Providence  to  inspire  us.”  He  de¬ 
clared  apostates  and  Manicheans  incapable  of  mak¬ 
ing  a  will,  or  receiving  any  legacy ;  and  having  pro- 


INTOLERANCE  OF  CHRISTIAN  EMPERORS.  549 


nounced  them  worthy  of  death,  the  people  thought 
they  had  a  right  to  kill  them  as  proscribed  persons. 
He  enacted  a  law,  condemning  to  the  flames  cousins 
german  who  married  without  a  special  license  from 
the  emperor.  He  established  inquisitors  for  the 
discovery  of  heretics.  He  drove  the  Manicheans* 
from  Rome  as  infamous  persons,  and,  on  their  death, 
ordered  their  goods  to  be  distributed  among  the 
people.  Yet,  with  all  this  religious  zeal,  he,  on  one 
occasion,  gave  orders  for  a  universal  massacre  at  Thes- 
salonica,  because  some  persons  of  distinction  had  been 
killed  in  a  sedition  at  the  time  of  the  races.  The 
inhabitants  were  caused  to  assemble  in  the  circus,  un¬ 
der  pretence  of  an  exhibition  of  games,  and  slaugh¬ 
tered  without  distinction  of  age.  Seven  thousand, 
according  to  some,  and  fifteen  thousand  according 
to  others,  the  greatest  part  unquestionably  innocent, 
were  thus  sacrificed  to  atrocious  revenge.f  Leo, 
another  emperor,  “  commanded  every  person  to  be 
baptized,  under  pain  of  banishment,  and  made  it  capi¬ 
tal  to  relapse  into  idolatry  after  the  performance  of 
the  ceremony just  as  if  Christians  could  be  made 
by  a  forced  baptism,  or  by  a  law  of  the  state.  Such 
edicts  clearly  showed,  that,  whatever  zeal  princes  or 
the  clergy  might  manifest  in  favour  of  the  Christian 
religion,  they  were  grossly  ignorant  of  its  true  spirit, 
and  of  the  means  by  which  its  benevolent  objects 
were  to  be  accomplished. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  such  edicts 

*  The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  Manicheans  was, 
their  recognising  the  doctrine  of  two  independent  and  eternal 
principles,  the  one  the  author  of  all  good,  the  other  the  author  of 
all  evil. 

f  Millot’s  Ancient  History,  Vol.  ii. 


550 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


were  sometimes  carried  into  effect,  the  following  in¬ 
stance  may  be  stated : — Hypatia,  daughter  of  the 
celebrated  geometrician,  Theon  of  Alexandria,  ex¬ 
ceeded  her  father  in  learning,  and  gave  public  lectures 
in  philosophy  with  the  greatest  applause;  nor  was  she 
less  admirable  for  the  purity  of  her  virtue,  joined  to 
an  uncommon  beauty,  and  every  accomplishment  that 
could  adorn  human  nature.  But  this  accomplished 
woman,  because  she  teas  a  Pagan ,  trusted  by  the  ma¬ 
gistrates,  and  suspected  to  be  active  against  St.  Cyril, 
the  bishop,  became  an  object  of  detestation  to  the 
Christian  multitude.  A  set  of  monks  and  despera¬ 
does,  headed  by  a  priest,  seized  her  in  the  open  street, 
hurried  her  into  a  church,  where  they  stripped  her 
naked,  tore  her  body  with  whips,  cut  her  in  pieces, 
and  publicly  burned  her  mangled  limbs  in  the  market¬ 
place.*  St.  Cyril,  who  was  suspected  of  having 
fomented  this  tragedy,  had  previously  attacked  the 
synagogues,  and  driven  out  the  Jews  :  their  goods 
were  pillaged,  and  several  persons  perished  in  the 
tumult. —  Such  conduct  plainly  demonstrates  the  ten¬ 
dency  of  the  human  mind  to  abuse  power  and  autho¬ 
rity  for  the  purposes  of  persecution  and  revenge  ;  and 
shows  us  what  false  ideas  the  Christians  of  that  pe¬ 
riod  must  have  entertained  of  the  God  of  mercy,  and 
how  soon  they  had  forgotten  the  sufferings  which 
their  fathers  had  so  lately  endured  under  the  reign 
of  the  heathen  emperors. 

About  this  period,  too,  vain  speculations  about 
abstruse  and  incomprehensible  subjects,  occupied  the 
attention  of  theologians,  and  engendered  religious 


*  Millot’s  Ancient  History,  Vol.  ii. 


ECCLESIASTICAL  FEUDS.  55l 

disputes,  which  burst  asunder  the  bonds  of  affection 
and  concord.  A  play  of  words,  and  vain  subtleties, 
were  substituted  in  place  of  clear  conceptions  and 
substantial  knowledge,  which,  instead  of  directing 
the  faculties  of  the  human  mind  to  their  proper  ob¬ 
jects,  tended  only  to  darken  the  light  of  reason,  and 
to  introduce  the  long  night  of  ignorance  which  soon 
succeeded.  It  wras  a  prevailing  madness  among  the 
Greek  theologians,  and  it  is  too  much  the  case  with 
certain  modern  divines,  to  dispute  about  incompre¬ 
hensible  mysteries,  to  render  them  more  obscure  by 
their  attempts  to  explain  them,  and  perpetually  to 
revive  the  most  dangerous  contentions.  The  Arians 
rejected  the  Divinity  of  the  Word,  in  order  to  main¬ 
tain  the  unity  of  God ; — the  Nestorians  denied  that 
Mary  is  the  mother  of  God,  and  gave  two  persons 
to  Jesus  Christ,  to  support  the  opinion  of  his  having 
two  natures; — the  Eutychians,  to  maintain  the  unity 
of  the  person,  confounded  the  two  natures  into  one. 
This  heresy  became  divided  into  ten  or  twelve 
branches ;  some  of  the  sections  maintaining  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  merely  a  phantom,  or  appearance  of 
flesh,  but  no  real  flesh.  The  Monothelites  main¬ 
tained,  that  there  was  only  one  will  in  Christ,  as  they 
could  not  conceive  two  free  wills  to  exist  in  the  same 
person.  Another  sect  maintained,  that  the  body  of 
Christ  was  incorruptible ,  and  that,  from  the  moment 
of  his  conception,  he  was  incapable  of  change  and 
of  suffering.  This  chimera  Justinian  attempted  to 
establish  by  an  edict.  He  banished  the  Patriarch 
Eutychius,  and  several  other  prelates,  who  opposed 
his  sentiments ;  and  was  proceeding  to  tyrannize  over 
the  consciences  of  men  with  more  violence  than  ever, 


552 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


when  death  interposed,  and  transported  him  to  ano¬ 
ther  scene  of  existence. — In  such  vain  and  prepos¬ 
terous  disputes  as  these,  were  the  minds  of  professed 
Christians  occupied,  notwithstanding  the  perils  with 
which  they  were  then  environed.  Councils  were 
held  to  determine  the  orthodox  side  of  a  question ; 
anathemas  were  thundered  against  those  who  refused 
to  acquiesce  in  their  decisions ;  princes  interposed 
their  authority,  and  the  civil  sword  was  unsheathed, 
to  compel  men  to  believe  what  they  could  not  under¬ 
stand  ; — while  the  substantial  truths  of  religion  were 
overlooked,  and  its  morality  disregarded.  c<  Reli¬ 
gion,”  says  Millot,  “  inspires  us  with  a  contempt  of 
earthly  vanities,  a  detestation  of  vice,  and  indulgence 
for  the  frailties  of  our  neighbours  ;  invincible  patience 
in  misfortunes,  and  compassion  for  the  unhappy ;  it 
inspires  us  with  charity,  and  heroic  courage ;  and 
tends  to  sanctify  every  action  in  social  life.  How 
sublime  and  comforting  the  idea  it  gives  of  the  Di¬ 
vinity  !  What  confidence  in  his  justice  and  infinite 
mercy  !  What  encouragement  for  the  exercise  of 
every  virtue  !  Wherefore,  then,  such  errors  and 
excesses  on  religious  pretences  ?  It  is  because 
heresy,  shooting  up  under  a  thousand  different  forms, 
incessantly  startles  the  faith  by  subtleness  and  so¬ 
phistry,  by  which  almost  the  whole  energy  of  men’s 
minds  is  absorbed  in  the  contest.  Disputes  engen¬ 
der  hatred ;  from  hatred  springs  every  excess ;  and 
virtue,  exhausted  with  words  and  cabals,  loses  her 
whole  power.”  How  happy  would  it  be,  and  how 
glorious  for  the  cause  of  genuine  Christianity,  were 
the  present  generation  of  Christians  to  profit  by  the 
sad  experience  of  the  past  ! 


MORALITY  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 


553 


As  we  advance  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
church,  through  the  middle  ages,  the  prospect  ap¬ 
pears  still  more  dark  and  gloomy.  The  human  mind, 
at  that  period,  appeared  to  have  lost  its  usual  energy, 
and  its  powers  of  discrimination;  the  light  of  reason 
seemed  almost  extinguished;  sophisms  and  absurdi¬ 
ties  of  all  kinds  were  greedily  swallowed  ;  and  super¬ 
stition  displayed  itself  in  a  thousand  diversified 
forms.  Morality  was  smothered  under  a  heap  of 
ceremonies  and  arbitrary  observances,  which  acquired 
the  name  of  devotion.  Relics,  pilgrimages,  offerings, 
and  pious  legacies,  were  thought  capable  of  opening 
the  cate  of  heaven  to  the  most  wicked  of  men.  The 
Virgin  Mary,  and  the  souls  of  departed  saints,  were 
invoked;  splendid  churches  were  erected  to  their 
honour ;  their  assistance  was  entreated,  with  many 
fervent  prayers;  while  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  almost  disregarded.  An  irresistible  efficacy  was 
attributed  to  the  bones  of  martyrs,  and  to  the  figure 
of  the  cross,  in  defeating  the  attempts  of  Satan,  in 
removing  all  sorts  of  calamities,  and  in  healing  the 
diseases  both  of  body  and  mind.  Works  of  piety 
were  viewed  as  consisting  chiefly  in  building  and 
embellishing  churches  ;  in  endowing  monasteries  ;  in 
hunting  after  the  relics  of  martyrs;  in  procuring  the 
intercession  of  saints,  by  rich  oblations ;  in  worship¬ 
ping  images;  in  pilgrimages  to  holy  places ;  invo¬ 
luntary  acts  of  mortification  ;  in  solitary  masses  ;  and 
in  a  variety  of  similar  services,  which  could  easily  be 
reconciled  with  the  commission  of  the  most  abomi¬ 
nable  crimes.  kSo  that  the  worship  of  “  the  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,”  was  exchanged 
for  the  worship  of  bones,  hair,  fragments  of  fingers 
D.  2.  A  A 


554 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  toes,  tattered  rags,  images  of  saints,  and  bits  oi 
rotten  wood,  supposed  to  be  the  relics  of  the  cross.* 
— The  dubbing  of  saints  became  a  fruitful  source  of 
frauds  and  abuses  throughout  the  Christian  world ; 
lying  wonders  were  invented,  and  fabulous  histories 
composed,  to  celebrate  exploits  that  were  never  per¬ 
formed,  and  to  glorify  persons  that  never  had  a  be¬ 
ing  ;  and  absolution  from  the  greatest  crimes  could 
easily  be  procured,  either  by  penances  or  by  money. 

The  absurd  principle,  that  Religion  consists  in 
acts  of  austerity ,  produced  the  most  extravagant  be¬ 
haviour  in  certain  devotees  and  reputed  saints.  They 
lived  among  the  wild  beasts  ;  they  ran  naked  through 
the  lonely  deserts,  with  a  furious  aspect,  and  with  all 
the  agitations  of  madness  and  frenzy ;  they  prolonged 
their  wretched  lives  by  grass  and  wild  herbs ;  avoided 
the  sight  and  conversation  of  men,  and  remained  al¬ 
most  motionless  for  several  years,  exposed  to  the  in¬ 
clemency  of  the  seasons  ; — and  all  this  was  considered 
as  an  acceptable  method  of  worshipping  the  Deity, 
and  of  attaining  a  share  in  his  favour. — But  of  all 


*  Stephen,  in  his  “Traite  Preparatif  a  l’Apologie  pour  Hero- 
dote,”  says,  “  A  monk  of  St.  Anthony  having  been  at  Jerusalem, 
saw  there  several  relics,  among  which  were, — a  bit  of  the  finger 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  sound  and  entire  as  it  had  ever  been, — the 
snout  of  the  Seraphim  that  appeared  to  St.  Francis, — one  of  the 
nails  of  a  Cherubim, — one  of  the  ribs  of  the  Verbum  caro  factum, 
(the  Word  made  flesh), — some  rays  of  the  star  that  appeared  to 
the  three  kings  of  the  East, — a  vial  of  St.  Michael’s  sweat,  when 
he  was  fighting  against  the  Devil, — a  hem  of  Joseph’s  garment, 

which  he  wore  when  he  cleaved  wood,  &c.  &c _ Henry  III.  of 

England  was  a  great  hoarder  of  relics.  He  informed  his  Council 
on  one  occasion,  that  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Templars  had 
sent  him  a  vial,  containing  a  small  portion  of  the  blood  of  Christ, 
which  he  shed  upon  the  cross ;  and  attested  to  be  genuine,  by 
the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  He  ordered  a  procession  the  follow¬ 
ing  day,  in  honour  of  the  gift. 


POWER  OF  THE  ROMISH  CLERGY. 


555 


the  instances  of  superstitious  frenzy  which  disgraced 
those  times,  none  was  held  in  higher  veneration  than 
that  of  a  certain  order  of  men,  who  obtained  the  name 
of  Pillar  saints.  These  were  persons  of  a  most  sin¬ 
gular  and  extravagant  turn  of  mind,  who  stood  mo¬ 
tionless  on  the  tops  of  pillars,  expressly  raised  for  this 
exercise  of  their  patience,  and  remained  there  for 
several  years,  amidst  the  admiration  of  a  stupid  and 
wondering  populace.  This  strange  superstitious  prac¬ 
tice  began  in  the  fifth  century,  and  continued  in  the 
East  for  more  than  six  hundred  years. — To  the  same 
principle  are  to  he  attributed  the  revolting  practices 
of  the  Flagellants,  a  sect  of  fanatics  who  chastised 
themselves  with  whips  in  public  places.  Numbers  of 
persons  of  this  description,  of  all  ages  and  sexes, 
made  processions,  walking  two  by  two,  with  their 
shoulders  bare,  which  they  whipped  till  the  blood  ran 
down  in  streamlets,  in  order  to  obtain  mercy  from 
God,  and  appease  his  indignation  against  the  wicked¬ 
ness  of  the  age.  They  held,  among  other  things, 
that  flagellation  was  of  equal  virtue  with  baptism  and 
the  other  sacraments ;  that  the  forgiveness  of  all 
sins  was  to  be  obtained  by  it,  without  the  merits  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  that  the  old  law  of  Christ  was  soon  to 
be  abolished,  and  that  a  new  law,  enjoining  the  bap¬ 
tism  of  blood,  to  be  administered  by  whipping,  was 
to  be  substituted  in  its  place. 

The  enormous  power  conferred  on  the  ministers  of 
religion  was  another  source  of  immorality  and  of  the 
greatest  excesses.  The  pope  and  the  clergy  reigned 
over  mankind  without  control,  and  made  themselves 
masters  of  almost  all  the  wealth  of  every  country  in 
Europe.  They  were  immersed  in  crimes  of  the 

A  A  2 


556 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


deepest  dye;  and  the  laity,  imagining  themselves  able 
to  purchase  the  pardon  of  their  sins  for  money,  fol¬ 
lowed  the  example  of  their  pastors  without  remorse. 
The  most  violent  contentions,  animosities,  and  hatred, 
reigned  among  the  different  orders  of  monks,  and  be¬ 
tween  the  clergy  of  all  ranks  and  degrees.  “  Instead 
of  consecrating  ecclesiastical  censures  solely  to  spiri¬ 
tual  purposes,  they  converted  them  into  a  weapon  for 
defending  their  privileges,  and  supporting  their  pre¬ 
tensions.  The  priesthood,  which  was  principally 
designed  to  bless,  was  most  frequently  employed  in 
cursing.  Excommunication  was  made  the  instru¬ 
ment  of  damning  instead  of  saving  souls ;  and  was 
inflicted  according  to  the  dictates  of  policy  or  of  re¬ 
venge.”  The  great  and  the  noble,  and  even  kings 
and  emperors  were  excommunicated,  when  it  was  de¬ 
signed  to  rob  or  to  enslave  them  ;  and  this  invisible 
engine,  which  they  wielded  with  a  powerful  and  so¬ 
vereign  hand,  was  used  to  foment  dissensions  between 
the  nearest  relatives,  and  to  kindle  the  most  bloody 
wars.  The  generality  of  priests  and  monks  kept 
wives  and  concubines,  without  shame  or  scruple,  and 
even  the  papal  throne  was  the  seat  of  debauchery  and 
vice.  The  possessions  of  the  church  were  either 
sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  or  turned  into  a  patrimony 
for  the  bastards  of  the  incumbents.  Marriages, 
wills,  contracts,  the  interests  of  families  and  of  courts, 
the  state  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead,  were  all  con¬ 
verted  into  instruments  for  promoting  their  credit,  and 
increasing  their  riches.  It  was  therefore  a  necessary 
result  from  such  a  state  of  things,  that  vices  of  every 
description  abounded,  that  morals  were  ruined,  and 
that  the  benevolence  required  in  the  divine  law  was 
trampled  under  foot. 


THEOLOGICAL  SPECULATIONS. 


557 


The  theological  speculations  in  which  they  in¬ 
dulged,  corresponded  to  the  degrading  practices  to 
which  I  have  adverted,  and  tended  to  withdraw  the 
mind  from  the  substantial  realities  both  of  science 
and  of  religion.  Sophisms  and  falsehoods  were  held 
forth  as  demonstrations.  They  attempted  to  argue 
after  they  had  lost  the  rules  of  common  sense.  The 
cultivation  of  letters  was  neglected ;  eloquence  con¬ 
sisted  in  futile  declamations  ;  and  philosophy  was 
lost  in  the  abyss  of  scholastic  and  sophistical  theo¬ 
logy.  “  They  attempted  to  penetrate  into  mysteries, 
and  to  decide  questions  which  the  limited  faculties 
of  the  human  mind  are  unable  to  comprehend  or  to 
resolve and  such  vain  speculations  they  endea¬ 
voured  to  incorporate  into  the  system  of  religion, 
and  to  render  theology  a  subject  of  metaphysical  re¬ 
finement,  and  of  endless  controversy.  A  false  logic 
was  introduced,  which  subtilized  upon  wo?'ds,  but 
gave  no  idea  of  things  ;  which  employed  itself  in  nice 
and  refined  distinctions  concerning  objects  and  opera¬ 
tions  which  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  the  human  un¬ 
derstanding,  which  confounded  every  thing  by  at¬ 
tempting  to  analyze  every  thing,  and  which  opened 
an  arena  for  men  of  fiery  zeal  to  kindle  the  flame  of 
controversy,  and  to  give  birth  to  numerous  heresies. 

The  following  are  a  few  instances,  out  of  many 
which  might  be  produced,  of  the  questions  and  con¬ 
troversies  which  occupied  the  attention  of  bishops  and 
seraphical  doctors,  and  gave  rise  to  furious  conten¬ 
tions  : — Whether  the  conception  of  the  Blessed  Vir¬ 
gin  was  immaculate  ?  Whether  Mary  should  be 
denominated  the  Mother  of  God,  or  the  Mother  of 
Christ  ?  Whether  the  bread  and  wine  used  in  the 


558 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


eucharist  were  digested  ?  In  what  manner  the  will 
of  Christ  operated,  and  whether  he  had  one  will  or 
two  ?  Whether  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeded  from 
the  Father  and  Son,  or  only  from  the  Father? 
Whether  leavened  or  unleavened  bread  ought  to  be 
used  in  the  eucharist  ?  Whether  souls  in  their  in¬ 
termediate  state  see  God,  or  only  the  human  nature 
of  Christ  ?  It  was  disputed  between  the  Dominicans 
and  Franciscans,  Whether  Christ  had  any  property  ? 
The  Pope  pronounced  the  negative  proposition  to 
be  a  pestilential  and  blasphemous  doctrine,  subver¬ 
sive  of  catholic  faith.  Many  councils  were  held  at 
Constantinople,  to  determine  what  sort  of  light  it 
was  that  the  disciples  saw  on  Mount  Tabor  :  it  was 
solemnly  pronounced  to  be  the  eternal  light  with 
which  God  is  encircled ;  and  which  may  be  termed 
his  energy  or  operation,  but  is  distinct  from  his  na¬ 
ture  and  essence.  The  disputes  respecting  the  real 
presence  of  Christ  in  the  eucharist,  led  to  this  ab¬ 
surd  conclusion,  which  came  to  be  universally  ad¬ 
mitted — “  That  the  substance  of  the  bread  and  wine 
used  in  that  ordinance  is  changed  into  the  real  body 
and  blood  of  Christ;”  and  consequently,  when  a  man 
eats  what  has  the  appearance  of  a  wafer,  he  really 
and  truly  eats  the  body  and  blood,  the  soul  and  di¬ 
vinity  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  when  he  afterwards  drinks 
what  has  the  appearance  of  wine,  he  drinks  the  very 
same  body  and  blood,  soul  and  divinity,  which,  per¬ 
haps,  not  a  minute  before,  he  had  wholly  and  entirely 
eaten  ! — At  the  period  to  which  I  now  allude,  the 
authenticity  of  a  suspected  relic  was  proved  by  Bulls 
— councils  assembled  and  decided  upon  the  autho¬ 
rity  of  forged  acts  with  regard  to  the  antiquity  of  a 


FEAST  OF  THE  ASS — INDULGENCES. 


559 


saint,  or  the  place  where  his  body  was  deposited  ; 
and  a  bold  impostor  needed  only  to  open  his  mouth, 
to  persuade  the  multitude  to  believe  whatever  he 
pleased.  To  feed  upon  animals  strangled  or  unclean, 
to  eat  flesh  on  Tuesday,  eggs  and  cheese  on  Friday, 
to  fast  on  Saturday,  or  to  use  unleavened  bread  in 
the  service  of  the  mass — were,  by  some,  considered 
as  indispensable  duties,  and  by  others,  as  vile  abomi¬ 
nations.  In  short,  the  history  of  this  period  is  a  re¬ 
proach  to  the  human  understanding;  an  insult  offered 
to  the  majesty  of  reason  and  of  science,  and  a  libel 
on  the  benevolent  spirit  which  breathes  through  the 
whole  of  the  Christian  system.* 


*  As  a  striking  instance  of  the  folly  and  imbecility  of  the  human 
mind  at  this  period,  it  may  be  noticed,  that  in  several  churches  in 
France,  they  celebrated  a  festival  in  commemoration  of  the  Virgin 
Mary’s  flight  into  Egypt,  which  was  called  the  Feast  of  the  Ass. 
A  young  girl,  richly  dressed,  with  a  child  in  her  arms,  was  set 
upon  an  ass,  richly  caparisoned.  The  ass  was  led  to  the  altar  in 
solemn  procession.  High  mass  was  said  with  great  pomp.  The 
ass  was  taught  to  kneel  at  proper  places ;  a  hymn,  no  less  childish 
than  impious,  was  sung  in  his  praise;  and  when  the  ceremony 
was  ended,  the  priest,  instead  of  the  usual  words  with  which  he 
dismissed  the  people,  brayed  three  times  like  an  ass,  and  the  peo¬ 
ple,  instead  of  the  usual  response,  “  We  bless  the  Lord,”  brayed 
in  the  same  manner.  This  ridiculous  ceremony  was  not  a  mere 
farcical  entertainment  ;  but  an  act  of  devotion,  performed  by  the 
ministers  of  religion,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  church _ Robert¬ 

son’s  History  of  Charles  V.  Vol.  i.  In  accordance  with  such 
foolish  ceremonies,  were  the  ideas  which  prevailed  of  the  qualifi¬ 
cations  requisite  to  constitute  a  good  Christian.  “  He  is  a  good 
Christian,”  says  St.  Eloy,  a  canonized  saint  of  the  Romish  church, 
“  who  comes  frequently  to  church  ;  who  presents  the  oblation 
which  is  offered  to  God  upon  the  altar  ;  who  doth  not  taste  of  the 
fruits  of  his  own  industry  until  he  has  consecrated  a  part  of  them 
to  God  ;  who,  when  the  holy  festivals  approach,  lives  chastely 
even  with  bis  own  wife  during  several  days,  that  with  a  safe  con¬ 
science  he  may  draw  near  to  the  altar  of  God  ;  and  who,  in  the 
last  place,  can  repeat  the  Creed  and  the  Lord’s  Prayer.  Redeem, 
then,  your  souls  from  destruction,  while  you  have  the  means  in 
your  power  ;  offer  presents  and  tithes  to  churchmen  ;  come  more 


560 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Nothing  can  be  conceived  more  directly  repug¬ 
nant  to  the  benevolence  which  the  religion  of  Jesus 

O 

inculcates,  than  the  temper  and  conduct  of  those 
who  arrogated  to  themselves  the  character  of  being 
God’s  vicegerents  on  earth,  and  who  assumed  the 
supreme  direction  of  the  Christian  church.  In  per¬ 
sons  who  laid  claim  to  functions  so  sacred  and  divine, 
it  might  have  been  expected,  that  the  appearance  at 
least,  of  piety,  humility,  and  benevolence,  would 
have  been  exhibited  before  the  eyes  of  the  Christian 
world.  But  the  history  of  the  popes  and  their  sa¬ 
tellites,  displays  almost  every  thing  which  is  directly 


frequently  to  church ;  humbly  implore  the  patronage  of  the  saints ; 
for,  if  you  observe  these  things,  you  may  come  with  security  in 
the  day  of  retribution  to  the  tribunal  of  the  eternal  Judge,  and 
say,  ‘  Give  to  us,  O  Lord,  for  we  have  given  unto  thee.’”  Here 
we  have  an  ample  description  of  a  good  Christian,  in  which  there 
is  not  the  least  mention  of  the  love  of  God,  of  resignation  to  his 
will,  obedience  to  his  laws,  or  of  justice,  benevolence,  or  charity 
towards  men _ Moshehn's  Church  History. 

The  following  are  the  terms  in  which  Tetzel  and  his  associates 
described  the  benefit  of  indulgences,  about  the  beginning  of  the 
16th  century,  a  little  before  the  era  of  the  Reformation.  “  If  any 
man,”  said  they,  “  purchase  letters  of  indulgence,  his  soul  may 
rest  secure  with  respect  to  its  salvation.  The  souls  confined  in 
purgatory,  for  whose  redemption  indulgences  are  purchased,  as 
soon  as  the  money  tinkles  in  the  chest,  instantly  escape  from  that 
place  of  torment,  and  ascend  into  heaven.  That  the  efficacy  of 
indulgences  was  so  great,  that  the  most  heinous  sins,  even  if  one 
should  violate  (which  was  impossible)  the  Mother  of  God,  would 
be  remitted  and  expiated  by  them,  and  the  person  be  free  both 
from  punishment  and  guilt.  That  this  was  the  unspeakable  gift 
of  God,  in  order  to  reconcile  men  to  himself.  That  the  cross 
erected  by  the  preachers  of  indulgences,  was  as  efficacious  as  the 
cross  of  Christ  itself.  Lo  !  the  heavens  are  open,  if  you  enter 
not  now,  when  will  you  enter?  For  twelve  pence  you  may  re- 
deem  the  soul  of  your  father  out  of  purgatory;  and  are  you  so  un¬ 
grateful  that  you  will  not  rescue  your  parent  from  torment?  If  you 
had  but  one  coat,  you  ought  to  strip  yourself  instantly,  and  sell 
it,  in  order  to  purchase  such  benefits,”  &c. — Robertson's  Charles  V. 
Yol.  ii. 


MALIGNANT  DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  POPES.  56! 

opposed  to  such  heavenly  virtues.  Their  avarice, 
extortion,  and  licentiousness,  became  intolerable  and 
excessive,  almost  to  a  proverb.  To  extend  their 
power  over  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  to  increase 
their  revenues,  to  live  in  opulence  and  splendour,  to 
humble  kings,  to  alienate  the  affections  of  their  sub¬ 
jects,  and  to  riot  in  luxury  and  debauchery,  seemed 
to  be  the  great  objects  of  their  ambition.  Instead 
of  acting  as  the  heralds  of  mercy,  and  the  ministers 
of  peace,  they  thundered  anathemas  against  all  who 
called  in  question  their  authority,  kindled  the  flames 
of  discord  and  of  civil  wars,  armed  subjects  against 
their  sovereigns,  led  forth  hostile  armies  to  the  battle, 
and  filled  Europe  with  confusion,  devastation,  and 
carnage.  Instead  of  applying  the  mild  precepts  of 
Christianity,  and  interposing  the  authority  they  had 
acquired  for  reconciling  enemies,  and  subduing  the 
jealousies  of  rival  monarchs,  they  delighted  to  widen 
the  breach  of  friendship,  and  to  fan  the  flame  of 
animosity  and  discord.  Dr.  Robertson,  when  ad¬ 
verting  to  the  personal  jealousies  of  Francis  I.  and 
Charles  V.,  remarks,  “  If  it  had  been  in  the  power 
of  the  Pope  to  engage  them  in  hostilities,  without 
rendering  Lombardy  the  theatre  of  war,  nothing 
would  have  been  more  agreeable  to  him  than  to  see 
them  waste  each  other’s  strength  in  endless  quar¬ 
rels.”*  The  Son  of  man  came  into  the  world,  not 
to  destroy  men’s  lives,  but  to  save  them;  but,  in  such 
instances,  we  behold  his  pretended  vicars,  preparing 
and  arranging  the  elements  of  discord,  laying  a  train 
for  the  destruction  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 


*  Robertson’s  Charles  V.,  Vol.  ii. 
A  A  3 


♦5t»2  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

sands,  and  taking  a  diabolical  delight  in  contemplat¬ 
ing  the  feuds,  the  massacres,  and  the  miseries  which 
their  infernal  policy  had  created.  The  decrees  of 
the  papal  throne,  instead  of  breathing  the  mildness 
and  benevolence  of  Jesus,  became  thundering  curses, 
and  sanguinary  laws;  and  a  set  of  frantic  enthusiasts, 
or  a  lawless  banditti,  were  frequently  appointed  to 
carry  them  into  effect. 

Not  contented  with  the  insurrections  they  had 
produced  among  the  European  nations,  they  planned 
an  expedition  for  the  purpose  of  massacring  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  Asia,  and  ravaging  their  country.  Urban 
II.,  about  A.  D.  1095,  travelled  from  province  to 
province,  levying  troops,  even  without  the  consent 
of  their  princes;  preaching  the  doctrine  of  £t  destruc¬ 
tion  to  the  infidels  ;”  and  commanding  the  people, 
in  the  name  of  God,  to  join  in  the  holy  war.  St. 
Bernard  ran  from  town  to  town,  haranguing  the  mul¬ 
titude,  performing  pretended  miracles,  and  inducing 
all  ranks,  from  the  emperor  to  the  peasant,  to  enrol 
themselves  under  the  banners  of  the  cross.  Peter 
the  Hermit,  a  man  of  a  hideous  aspect,  covered  with 
rags,  walking  barefooted,  and  speaking  as  a  prophet, 
inspired  the  people  every  where  with  an  enthusiasm 
similar  to  his  own.  Thousands  of  abandoned  de¬ 
bauchees  were  thus  collected;  bishops,  priests,  monks, 
women  and  children,  were  all  enrolled  in  the  holy- 
army.  A  plenary  absolution  of  their  sins  was  pro¬ 
mised;  and  if  they  died  in  the  contest,  they  were  as¬ 
sured  of  a  crown  of  martyrdom  in  the  world  to  come. 
With  hearts  burning  with  revenge,  this  army  of 
banditti,  without  discipline  or  provisions,  marched  in 
wild  confusion  through  the  eastern  parts  of  Europe, 


THE  INQUISITION. 


563 


and,  at  every  step  of  their  progress,  committed  the 
most  dreadful  outrages.  So  inveterate  was  their 
zeal  against  the  Jews,  wherever  they  were  found, 
that  many  of  those  unfortunate  beings,  both  men 
and  women,  murdered  their  own  children,  in  the 
midst  of  the  despair  to  which  they  were  driven  by 
these  infuriated  madmen  ;  and  when  they  arrived  at 
Jerusalem,  and  had  taken  that  city  by  assault,  they 
suffered  none  of  the  infidels  to  escape  the  slaughter. 
Such  was  the  way  in  which  the  successors  of  the 
Apostle  Peter  displayed  their  general  benevolence, 
and  their  love  to  the  souls  of  men  ! 

The  establishment  of  the  Inquisition,  is  another 
mode  in  which  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  of  the  Ro¬ 
mish  church  has  been  displayed.  This  court  was 
founded  in  the  12th  century,  by  Father  Dominic 
and  his  followers,  who  were  sent  by  Pope  Innocent 
III.  with  orders  to  excite  the  Catholic  princes  and 
people  to  extirpate  heretics.  It  is  scarcely  possible 
to  conceive  an  institution  more  directly  opposed  to 
the  dictates  of  justice  and  humanity,  to  the  genius 
of  Christianity,  and  to  the  meekness  and  gentleness 
of  Christ,  than  this  infernal  tribunal.  The  proceed¬ 
ings  against  the  unhappy  victims  of  this  court  are 
conducted  with  the  greatest  secrecy.  The  person 
granted  them  as  counsel  is  not  permitted  to  converse 
with  them,  except  in  the  presence  of  the  Inquisitors; 
and,  when  they  communicate  the  evidence  to  the  ac¬ 
cused  persons,  they  carefully  conceal  from  them  the 
names  of  the  authors.  The  prisoners  are  kept  for  a 
long  time,  till  they  themselves,  through  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  the  torture ,  turn  their  own  accusers ;  for  they 
are  neither  told  their  crime,  nor  confronted  with  wit- 


564 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


nesses.  Wh  en  there  is  no  shadow  of  proof  against 
the  pretended  criminal,  he  is  discharged,  after  suffer¬ 
ing  the  most  cruel  tortures,  a  tedious  and  dreadful 
imprisonment,  and  the  loss  of  the  greater  part  of  his 
effects.  When  he  is  convicted  and  condemned,  he 
is  led  in  procession,  with  other  unfortunate  beings, 
on  the  festival  of  the  Auto  da  Fe,  to  the  place  of 
execution.  He  is  clothed  with  a  garment,  painted 
with  flames,  and  with  his  own  figure,  surrounded 
with  dogs,  serpents,  and  devils,  all  open-mouthed,  as 
if  ready  to  devour  him.  Such  of  the  prisoners  as 
declare  that  they  die  in  the  communion  of  the  church 
of  Rome,  are  first  strangled,  and  then  burned  to 
ashes.  Those  who  die  in  any  other  faith,  are  burned 
alive.  The  priests  tell  them,  that  they  leave  them 
to  the  devil,  who  is  standing  at  their  elbow,  to  re¬ 
ceive  their  souls,  and  carry  them  with  him  into  the 
flames  of  hell.  Flaming  furzes,  fastened  to  long 
poles,  are  then  thrust  against  their  faces,  till  their 
faces  are  burned  to  a  coal,  which  is  accompanied  with 
the  loudest  acclamations  of  joy,  among  the  thousands 
of  spectators.  At  last  fire  is  set  to  the  furze  at  the 
bottom  of  the  stake,  over  which  the  criminals  are 
chained  so  high,  that  the  top  of  the  flame  seldom 
reaches  higher  than  the  seat  they  sit  on  ;  so  that 
they  seem  to  be  roasted  rather  than  burned.  There 
cannot  be  a  more  lamentable  spectacle  :  the  sufferers 
continually  cry  out,  while  they  are  able,  “  Pity,  for 
the  love  of  God  !”  yet  it  is  beheld,  by  all  sexes  and 
ages,  with  transports  of  joy  and  satisfaction  ;  and 
even  the  monarch,  surrounded  by  his  courtiers,  has 
sometimes  graced  the  scene  with  his  presence,  ima- 


HORRORS  OF  THE  INQUISITION. 


565 


ginin g  that  he  was  performing  an  act  highly  accep¬ 
table  to  the  Deity  !  !  * 

And  what  are  the  heinous  crimes  for  which  such 
dreadful  punishments  are  prepared  ?  Perhaps  no¬ 
thing  more  than  reading  a  book  which  has  been  de¬ 
nounced  as  heretical  by  the  holy  office,  such  as 
“  Raynal’s  History  of  the  Indies,” — assuming  the 
title  of  a  freemason — irritating  a  priest  or  mendi¬ 
cant  friar — uttering  the  language  of  freethinkers — 
declaiming  against  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy — in¬ 
sinuating  hints  or  suspicions  respecting  their  amours 
and  debaucheries — or  throwing  out  a  joke  to  the 
dishonour  of  the  Virgin  Mary,f — or,  at  most,  hold¬ 
ing  the  sentiments  of  a  Mahometan,  of  a  Jew,  or  of 
the  followers  of  Calvin  or  Luther.  In  the  year 
1725,  the  Inquisition  discovered  a  family  of  Moors, 
at  Grenada,  peaceably  employed  in  manufacturing 
silks,  and  possessing  superior  skill  in  the  exercise  of 
this  profession.  The  ancient  laws,  supposed  to  have 
fallen  into  disuse,  were  enforced  in  all  their  rigour, 
and  the  wretched  family  was  burnt  alive.%  On  the 
entry  of  the  French  into  Toledo,  during  the  late 
Peninsular  war,  General  Lasalle  visited  the  palace 
of  the  Inquisition.  The  great  number  of  instru- 


*  See  Encyc.  Brit.  Articles  Act  of  faith,  and  Inquisition;  and 
Bourgoing’s  “Modern  State  of  Spain,”  Vol.  i.  The  “Instruc¬ 
tions  for  the  office  of  the  Holy  Inquisition  given  at  Toledo  in 
1561,”  may  be  seen  in  the  Appendix  to  “  Peyron’s  Essays  on 
Spain,”  which  forms  the  fourth  volume  of  Bourgoing’s  work. 

f  The  Chevalier  de  St.  Gervais  was  imprisoned  in  the  Inqui¬ 
sition  on  the  following  occasion.  A  mendicant  having  come  to 
his  chamber,  with  a  purse,  begging  him  to  contribute  something 
for  the  lights  or  tapers  to  be  lighted  in  honour  of  the  Virgin,  he 
replied,  “  My  good  father,  the  Virgin  has  no  need  of  -lights,  she 
need  only  go  to  bed  at  an  earlier  hour.” 

|  Bourgoing’s  State  of  Spain,  Vol.  i.  p.  349. 


566 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ments  of  torture,  especially  the  instruments  to  stretch 
the  limbs,  and  the  drop-baths,  which  cause  a  linger¬ 
ing  death,  excited  horror,  even  in  the  minds  of  sol¬ 
diers  hardened  in  the  field  of  battle.  One  of  these 
instruments,  singular  in  its  kind  for  refined  torture, 
and  disgraceful  to  humanity  and  religion,  deserves 
a  particular  description.  In  a  subterraneous  vault 
adjoining  to  the  audience  chamber,  stood,  in  a  recess 
in  the  wall,  a  wooden  statue  made  by  the  hands  of 
monks,  representing  the  Virgin  Mary.  A  gilded 
glory  beamed  round  her  head,  and  she  held  a  stan¬ 
dard  in  her  right  hand.  Notwithstanding  the  ample 
folds  of  the  silk  garment,  which  fell  from  her  shoul¬ 
ders  on  both  sides,  it  appeared  that  she  wore  a 
breastplate ;  and,  upon  a  closer  examination,  it  was 
found,  that  the  whole  front  of  the  body  was  covered 
with  extremely  sharp  nails,  and  small  daggers,  or 
blades  of  knives,  with  the  points  projecting  outwards. 
The  arms  and  hands  had  joints,  and  their  motions 
were  directed  by  machinery,  placed  behind  the  par¬ 
tition.  One  of  the  servants  of  the  Inquisition  was 
ordered  to  make  the  machine  manoeuvre.  As  the 
statue  extended  its  arms,  and  gradually  drew  them 
back,  as  if  she  would  affectionately  embrace  and 
press  some  one  to  her  heart,  the  well-filled  knapsack 
of  a  polish  grenadier  supplied  for  this  time  the  place 
of  the  poor  victim.  The  statue  pressed  it  closer 
and  closer ;  and  when  the  director  of  the  machinery 
made  it  open  its  arms  and  return  to  its  first  position, 
the  knapsack  was  pierced  two  or  three  inches  deep, 
and  remained  hanging  upon  the  nails  and  daggers  of 
the  murderous  instrument. 

This  infamous  tribunal  is  said  to  have  caused, 


HORRORS  OF  THE  INQUISITION. 


567 


between  the  years  1481  and  1759,  34,658  persons 
to  be  burned  alive;  and  between  1481  and  1808, 
to  have  sentenced  288,214  to  the  galleys,  or  to  per¬ 
petual  imprisonment.*  In  the  Auto  of  Toledo,  in 
February  1501,  67  women  were  delivered  over  to 
the  flames  for  Jewish  practices.  The  same  punish¬ 
ment  was  inflicted  on  900  females  for  being  tvitches, 
in  the  Duchy  of  Lorraine,  by  one  Inquisitor  alone. 
Under  this  accusation,  upwards  of  thirty  thousand 
women  have  perished  by  the  hands  of  the  Inquisi¬ 
tion,  f  Torquemada,  that  infernal  inquisitor  of 
Spain,  brought  into  the  Inquisition,  in  the  space  of 
14  years,  no  fewer  than  80,000  persons;  of  whom 
6000  were  condemned  to  the  flames,  and  burned 
alive  with  the  greatest  pomp  and  exultation  ;  and  of 
that  vast  number,  there  was  perhaps  not  a  single 
person  who  was  not  more  pure  in  religion,  as  well  as 
morals,  than  their  outrageous  persecutor.^ — Has  the 
Deity,  then,  whom  the  Inquisition  professes  to  serve, 
such  a  voracious  appetite  for  the  blood  of  human 
victims  ?  Has  that  benevolent  Being,  who  maketh 
his  sun  to  cheer  the  habitations  of  the  tricked  as  well 
as  of  the  righteous,  and  whose  “tender  mercies  are 
over  all  bis  works” — commissioned  such  blood-thirsty 
monsters  to  act  as  his  ministers  of  vengeance,  and  to 
torment  and  destroy  the  rational  creatures  he  has 
formed  ?  The  very  thought  is  absurd  and  blasphe¬ 
mous  in  the  highest  degree.  All  his  beneficent 
operations  in  creation,  and  all  the  gracious  promises 
and  declarations  of  his  word,  stand  directly  opposed 

*  Histoire  Abregee  de  I’Inquisition. 

f  “The  Inquisition  Unmasked.”  By  Antonio  Puigblanch. 

t  Kahns’  Sketches,  Vol.  iv. 


568 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  such  hellish  practices,  and  condemn  the  perpetra¬ 
tors  as  audacious  rebels  against  the  divine  govern¬ 
ment,  and  as  nuisances  in  the  universe  of  God. 

The  numerous  Massacres  which,  in  different  ages, 
have  taken  place,  on  account  of  religious  opinions, 
is  another  revolting  trait  in  the  character  of  the  pro¬ 
fessed  votaries  of  the  Christian  cause.  Of  these, 
the  massacre  of  the  Protestants  in  France  on  the 
feast  of  St.  Bartholomew,  on  the  24th  August,  1572, 
was,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  diabolical  acts  of  per¬ 
fidy,  injustice,  and  cruelty,  which  have  stained  the 
character  of  our  race.  Every  thing  was  atrocious 
and  horrible  in  this  unexampled  conspiracy  and  as¬ 
sassination  ;  feelings  of  the  most  sacred  nature  were 
annihilated;  religious  zeal  was  changed  into  an  im¬ 
pious  frenzy;  and  filial  piety  degenerated  into  san¬ 
guinary  fury.  Under  the  direction  of  the  infamous 
Duke  of  Guise,  the  soldiers  and  the  populace  en 
masse ,  at  the  signal  of  the  tolling  of  a  bell,  flew  to 
arms,  seizing  every  weapon  that  presented  itself ;  and 
then  rushing  in  crowds  to  every  quarter  of  the  city 
of  Paris, — no  sound  was  heard  but  the  horrible  cry, 
Kill  the  Huguenots  !  Every  one  suspected  of  being 
a  Calvinist,  without  any  distinction  of  rank,  age,  or 
sex,  was  indiscriminately  massacred.  The  air  re¬ 
sounded  with  the  horrid  cries  and  blasphemous  im¬ 
precations  of  the  murderers,  the  piercing  shrieks  of 
the  wounded,  and  the  groans  of  the  dying.  Head¬ 
less  trunks  were  every  instant  precipitated  from  the 
windows  into  the  court-yards  or  the  streets :  the 
gate-ways  were  choked  up  with  the  bodies  of  the 
dead  and  dying,  and  the  streets  presented  a  spectacle 
of  mangled  limbs,  and  of  human  bodies,  dragged  by 


BARTHOLOMEW  MASSACRE. 


569 


their  butchers  in  order  to  be  thrown  into  the  Seine. 
Palaces,  hotels,  and  public  buildings,  were  reeking 
with  blood ;  the  image  of  death  and  desolation  reigned 
on  every  side,  and  under  the  most  hideous  appear¬ 
ances  ;  and  in  all  quarters,  carts  were  seen  loaded 
with  dead  bodies,  destined  to  be  cast  into  the  river, 
whose  waters  were  for  several  days  sullied  by  tides 
of  human  gore.  The  infuriated  assassins,  urged  on 
by  the  cry,  that  “  It  was  the  king’s  will  that  the 
very  last  of  this  race  of  vipers  should  be  crushed  and 
killed,”  became  furious  in  the  slaughter;  in  proof  of 
which,  one  Cruce,  a  jeweller,  displaying  his  naked 
and  bloody  arm,  vaunted  aloud,  that  he  had  cut  the 
throats  of  more  than  400  Huguenots  in  one  day. 
During  this  horrid  period,  every  species  of  the  most 
refined  cruelty  became  exhausted;  the  weakness  of 
infancy  proved  no  impediment  to  the  impulse  of  fero¬ 
city  ;  children  of  ten  years,  exercising  the  first  homi¬ 
cidal  deed,  were  seen  committing  the  most  barbarous 
acts,  and  cutting  the  throats  of  infants  in  their  swad¬ 
dling  clothes  !  The  number  of  victims  thus  slaugh¬ 
tered  in  the  city  of  Paris,  amounted  to  above  six 
thousand;  and,  in  the  provinces,  at  the  same  time, 
there  perished  about  sixty  thousand.  And,  what  is 
still  more  shocking,  the  news  of  this  massacre  were 
welcomed  at  Rome  with  the  most  lively  transports  of 
joy.  The  Cardinal  of  Lorraine  gave  a  large  reward 
to  the  courier;  and  interrogated  him  upon  the  sub¬ 
ject  in  a  manner  that  demonstrated  he  had  been 
previously  aware  of  the  intended  catastrophe.  The 
cannons  were  fired,  bonfires  were  kindled,  aud  a  so¬ 
lemn  mass  was  celebrated,  at  which  Pope  Gregory 
XIII.  assisted,  with  all  the  splendour  which  that 


570 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


court  is  accustomed  to  display  on  events  of  the  most 
glorious  and  important  consequence  !  * 

The  horrid  practice  of  Dragooning ,  which  was 
used  by  Papists  for  converting  supposed  heretics, 
was  another  melancholy  example  of  religious  cruelty 
and  frenzy.  In  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  of  France, 
his  troopers,  soldiers,  and  dragoons,  entered  into  the 
houses  of  the  Protestants,  where  they  marred  and 
defaced  their  household  stuff,  broke  their  looking- 
glasses,  let  their  wine  run  about  their  cellars,  threw 
about  and  trampled  under  foot  their  provisions, 
turned  their  dining-rooms  into  stables  for  their  horses, 
and  treated  the  owners  with  the  highest  indignation 
and  cruelty.  They  bound  to  posts  mothers  that  gave 
suck,  and  let  their  sucking  infants  lie  languishing  in 
their  sight  for  several  days  and  nights,  crying, 
mourning,  and  gasping  for  life.  Some  they  bound 
before  a  great  fire,  and,  after  they  were  half  roasted, 
let  them  go.  Some  they  hung  up  by  the  hair,  and 
some  by  the  feet,  in  chimneys,  and  smoked  them 
with  wisps  of  wet  hay  till  they  were  suffocated. 
Women  and  maids  were  hung  up  by  their  feet,  or 
by  their  arm-pits,  and  exposed  stark  naked  to  public 
view.  Some  they  cut  and  slashed  with  knives,  and 
after  stripping  them  naked,  stuck  their  bodies  with 
pins  and  needles  from  head  to  foot ;  and,  with  red 
hot  pincers,  took  hold  of  them  by  the  nose  and  other 
parts  of  the  body,  and  dragged  them  about  the  rooms 
till  they  made  them  promise  to  be  Catholics,  or  till 


*  See  a  late  publication  entitled  “  Memoirs  of  Henry  the  Great, 
and  of  the  Court  of  France  during  his  reign,”  2  vols.  8vo.  in 
which  is  contained  the  fullest  description  of  this  massacre  which 
has  appeared  in  our  language. 


RELIGIOUS  PERSECUTIONS. 


571 


the  cries  of  these  miserable  wretches,  calling  upon 
God  for  help,  induced  them  to  let  them  go.  If  any, 
to  escape  these  barbarities,  endeavoured  to  save  them¬ 
selves  by  flight,  they  pursued  them  into  the  fields 
and  woods,  where  they  shot  at  them,  as  if  they  had 
been  wild  beasts  ;  and  prohibited  them  from  depart¬ 
ing  the  kingdom,  upon  pain  of  the  galleys,  the  lash, 
and  perpetual  imprisonment.  On  such  scenes  of  de¬ 
solation  and  horror,  the  Popish  clergy  feasted  their 
eyes,  and  made  them  only  a  matter  of  laughter  and 
of  sport.* — What  a  striking  contrast  to  the  bene¬ 
volence  of  the  Deity,  whom  they  impiously  pretended 
to  serve  !  Could  a  savage  American  have  devised 

o 

more  barbarous  and  infernal  cruelties  ? 

In  the  civil  wars  on  account  of  religion,  which 
happened  in  France  in  the  beginning  of  the  17th 
century,  above  a  million  of  men  lost  their  lives,  and 
9  cities,  400  villages,  2000  churches,  2000  monas¬ 
teries,  and  10,000  houses,  were  burned  or  destroyed 
during  their  continuance ;  besides  the  many  thou¬ 
sands  of  men,  women,  and  children,  that  were  cruelly 
butchered  :  and  15,000,000  of  livres  were  spent  in 
carrying  forward  these  slaughters  and  devastations. 
It  is  saiil  of  Louis  XIII.  who  carried  on  these  wars, 
by  one  of  his  biographers  and  panegyrists,  Madame 
de  Motteville,  that,  “what  gave  him  the  greatest 
pleasure  was,  his  thought  of  driving  heretics  out  of 
the  kingdom,  and  thereby  purging  the  different  re¬ 
ligions  which  corrupt  and  infect  the  church  of  God.”f 
In  the  Netherlands  alone,  from  the  time  that  the 

*  For  a  more  particular  account  of  such  scenes,  see  Encyc. 
Brit.,  Article  Dragooning. 

f  Motteville’s  Memoirs  of  Anne  of  Austria,  Vol.  i.  p.  98. 


572 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


edict  of  Charles  V.  was  promulgated  against  the  re¬ 
formers,  more  than  100,000  persons  were  hanged, 
beheaded,  buried  alive,  or  burned,  on  account  of  re¬ 
ligion.  The  prisons  were  crowded  with  supposed 
heretics  ;  and  the  gibbet,  the  scaffold,  and  the  stake, 
filled  every  heart  with  horror.  The  Duke  of  Alva, 
and  his  bloody  tribunal,  spread  universal  consterna¬ 
tion  through  these  provinces;  and  though  the  blood 
of  eighteen  thousand  persons,  who,  in  five  years,  had 
been  given  up  to  the  executioner  for  heresy,  cried 
for  vengeance  on  this  persecutor  and  his  adherents, 
yet  they  gloried  in  their  cruelty.  Philip  II.  in 
whose  reign  these  atrocities  were  committed,  hearing 
one  day,  that  thirty  persons  at  least  had  a  little  be¬ 
fore  been  burned  at  an  auto  da  fe ,  requested  that  a 
like  execution  might  be  performed  in  his  presence ; 
and  he  beheld  with  joy  forty  victims  devoted  to  tor¬ 
ments  and  to  death.  One  of  them,  a  man  of  dis¬ 
tinction,  requesting  a  pardon,  <£  No,”  replied  he, 
coldly,  “  were  it  my  own  son  I  would  give  him  up 
to  the  flames,  if  he  obstinately  persisted  in  heresy.”* 
liven  in  our  own  island,  the  flames  of  religious 
persecution  have  sometimes  raged  with  unrelenting 
fury.  During  two  or  three  years  of  the  short  reign 
of  Queen  Mary,  it  was  computed,  that  277  persons 
were  committed  to  the  flames,  besides  those  who 
were  punished  by  fines,  confiscations,  and  imprison¬ 
ments.  Among  those  who  suffered  by  fires  were 
five  bishops,  twenty-one  clergymen,  eight  lay  gentle¬ 
men,  and  eighty-four  tradesmen  ;  one  hundred  hus¬ 
bandmen,  fifty-five  women,  and  four  children.  And 


•  Millot’s  Modern  History,  Vol.  ii.  p.  190. 


RELIGIOUS  PERSECUTIONS. 


573 


a  century  and  a  half  has  scarcely  elapsed,  since  the 
Presbyterians  in  Scotland  were  hunted  across  moors 
and  mosses,  like  partridges  of  the  wilderness,  slaugh¬ 
tered  by  bands  of  ruffian  dragoons,  and  forced  to 
seek  their  spiritual  food  in  dens,  and  mountains,  and 
forests,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  Hunter,  a  young 
man  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the 
unhappy  victims  to  the  zeal  for  Papacy  of  Mary 
Queen  of  England.  Having  been  inadvertently  be¬ 
trayed  by  a  priest,  to  deny  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation,  he  absconded  to  keep  out  of  harm’s  way. 
Boner,  that  arch-hangman  of  Popery,  threatened 
ruin  to  the  father,  if  he  did  not  deliver  up  the  young 
man.  Hunter,  hearing  of  his  father’s  danger,  made 
his  appearance,  and  was  burned  alive,  instead  of  being 
rewarded  for  his  filial  piety.  A  woman  of  Guernsey 
was  brought  to  the  stake,  without  regard  to  her 
advanced  pregnancy,  and  her  belly  bursting  by  the 
torture,  she  was  delivered  in  the  midst  of  the  flames. 
One  of  the  guards  snatched  the  infant  from  the  fire  ; 
but  the  magistrate,  who  attended  the  execution, 
ordered  it  to  be  thrown  back,  being  resolved,  he  said, 
that  nothing  should  survive  which  sprung  from  a 
parent  so  obstinately  heretical.”* 

What  a  dreadful  picture  would  it  present  of  the 
malignity  of  persons  who  have  professed  the  religion 
of  Christ,  were  we  to  collect  into  one  point  of  view, 
all  the  persecutions,  tortures,  burnings,  massacres, 
and  horrid  cruelties,  which,  in  Europe  and  Asia, 
have  been  inflicted  on  conscientious  men  for  their 
firm  adherence  to  what  they  considered  as  the  truths 


*  Kaims’  Sketches,  Vol.  iv. 


474 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  religion  !  When  vve  consider,  on  the  one  hand, 
the  purity  of  morals,  and  the  purity  of  faith  which 
generally  distinguished  the  victims  of  persecution  ; 
and,  on  the  other,  the  proud  pampered  priests,  aban¬ 
doned  without  shame  to  every  species  of  wickedness, 
we  can  scarcely  find  words  sufficiently  strong  to 
express  the  indignation  and  horror  which  arise  in 
the  mind,  when  it  views  this  striking  contrast,  and 
contemplates  such  scenes  of  impiety  and  of  crime. 
Could  a  religion,  which  breathes  peace  and  good-will 
from  heaven  towards  men,  be  more  basely  misrepre¬ 
sented  ?  or  can  the  annals  of  our  race  present  a  more 
striking  display  of  the  depravity  of  mankind  ?  To 
represent  religion  as  consisting  in  the  belief  of  certain 
incomprehensible  dogmas,  and  to  attempt  to  convert 
men  to  Christianity  by  fire,  and  racks,  and  tortures, 
is  as  absurd  as  it  is  impious  and  profane,  and  repre¬ 
sents  the  Divine  Being  as  delighting  in  the  torments 
and  the  death  of  sinners,  rather  than  that  they  should 
return  and  live. — But,  without  dwelling  longer  on 
such  reflections  and  details,  I  shall  just  present  an 
example  or  two  of  the  moral  state  of  Roman  Catholic 
countries,  as  a  specimen  of  the  effects  to  which  their 
system  of  religion  naturally  leads. 

“  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,”  says  our 
Saviour.  Wherever  religion  is  viewed  as  consisting 
chiefly  in  the  observance  of  a  number  of  absurd  and 
unmeaning  ceremonies,  it  is  natural  to  expect  that 
the  pure  morality  of  the  Bible  will  seldom  be  exem¬ 
plified  in  human  conduct.  This  is  strikingly  the 
case  in  those  countries,  both  in  Europe  and  America, 
where  the  Papal  religion  reigns  triumphant. — Mr. 
Ilowison,  whose  work,  entitled  “Foreign  Scenes,”  I 


MORAL  STATE  OF  HAVANNA,  &C.  575 

formerly  quoted,  when  speaking  of  the  priesthood  in 
the  island  of  Cuba,  says,  “  The  number  of  priests  in 
Havanna  exceeds  four  hundred.  With  a  few  excep¬ 
tions,  they  neither  deserve  nor  enjoy  the  respect  of 
the  community.  However,  no  one  dares  openly  to 
speak  against  them.  In  Havanna,  the  church  is  nearly 
omnipotent,  and  every  man  feels  himself  under  its 
immediate  jurisdiction.  Most  people,  therefore,  at¬ 
tend  mass  regularly,  make  confession,  uncover  when 
passing  a  religious  establishment  of  any  kind,  and 
stand  still  in  the  streets,  or  stop  their  volantos,  the 
moment  the  vesper  bell  begins  ringing.  But  they 
go  no  farther ;  and  the  priests  do  not  seem  at  all 
anxious  that  the  practice  of  such  individuals  should 
correspond  to  their  profession.  The  priests  show,  by 
their  external  appearance,  that  they  do  not  practise 
those  austerities  which  are  generally  believed  to  be 
the  necessary  concomitants  of  a  monastic  life.  The 
sensual  and  unmeaning  countenances  that  encircle 
the  altars  of  the  churches,  and  the  levity  and  indiffer¬ 
ence  with  which  the  most  sacred  parts  of  the  service 
are  hurried  through,  would  shock  and  surprise  a  Pro¬ 
testant,  were  he  to  attend  mass  with  the  expectation 
of  finding  the  monks  those  solemn  and  awe-inspiring 
persons,  which  people,  who  have  never  visited  Catho¬ 
lic  countries,  often  imagine  them  to  be.” 

The  following  extract,  from  a  late  writer,  exhibits 
a  specimen  of  the  religion  and  moral  feelings  of  the 
Neapolitans:  “  When  Vesuvius  thunders,  or  when 
an  earthquake  threatens  them  with  destruction — 
when  fiery  streams  vomited  from  the  roaring  mouth 
of  the  volcano  roll  on,  carrying  desolation  over  the 
plains  below — when  the  air  is  darkened  by  clouds 


576 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  smoke,  and  showers  of  ashes,  the  Neapolitans 
fall  on  their  knees,  fast,  do  penance,  and  follow 
the  processions  barefooted ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  roar 
has  ceased,  the  flame  has  disappeared,  and  the  at¬ 
mosphere  has  recovered  its  wonted  serenity,  they 
return  to  their  usual  mode  of  life,  they  sink  again  to 
their  former  level,  and  the  tinkling  sounds  of  the 
tumburella  call  them  again  to  the  lascivious  dance  of 
the  tarantella.”* — As  an  evidence  of  the  litigious 
dispositions  of  the  Neapolitans,  the  same  author  in¬ 
forms  us,  “  That  there  is  scarcely  a  landholder  but 
has  two  or  three  causes  pending  before  the  courts — 
that  a  lawyer,  and  a  suit,  are  indispensable  appen¬ 
dages  of  property; — and  that  some  of  the  principal 
families  have  suits  which  have  been  carried  on  for  a 
century,  and  for  which  a  certain  sum  is  yearly  appro¬ 
priated,  although  the  business  never  advances;  and, 
at  last,  the  expenses  swallow  up  the  whole  capital.” 
— “  The  infinite  number  of  churches,”  says  a  late 
writer,  “  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  causes  of  the 
decline  of  the  religion  of  Rome,  whose  maxims  and 
practice  are  diametrically  opposite  to  those  of  the 
Gospel.  The  Gospel  is  the  friend  of  the  people, 
the  consoler  of  the  poor.  The  religion  of  Rome, 
on  the  contrary,  considers  all  nations  as  great  flocks, 
made  to  be  shorn  or  eaten  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  the  shepherds :  for  her  the  golden  lever 
is  the  lever  of  Archimedes.  The  favours  of  the 
church  are  only  showered  on  those  who  pay;  with 
money  we  may  purchase  the  right  to  commit  perjury 
and  murder,  and  be  the  greatest  villains  at  so  much 


♦ 


Vieusseux’s  “  Italy  in  the  19th  Century.”  1821. 


MORALITY  OF  THE  TUSCANS. 


57  7 


per  crime  ;  according  to  the  famous  Tariff  printed 
at  Rome,  entitled,  ‘  Taxes  of  the  Apostolic  Chan¬ 
cery.’”*. 

M.  Jouy,  in  his  late  publication,  “  The  Hermit 
in  Italy,”  presents  the  following  picture  of  the  prac¬ 
tical  morality  of  the  Tuscans:  “The  greediness 
after  profit  is  such,  among  the  lower  classes  of  shop¬ 
keepers,  that  they  adulterate  their  merchandise  so 
much,  as  to  render  it  almost  intolerable.  Milk, 
cheese,  and  butter,  are  always  in  peril  under  the 
hands  of  a  Florentine  shopkeeper.  It  is  impossible 
to  meet  with  good  butter,  except  at  the  dairies. 
The  grocers  are  not  exempt  from  the  imputation  of 
these  illicit  mixtures  and  adulterations  of  their  goods. 
I  bought,  from  one  of  them,  some  brown  sugar, 
which  would  not  dissolve  in  the  mouth  ;  and,  on 
examination,  I  found,  that  nearly  one-third  part  con¬ 
sisted  of  powdered  marble,  which  had  been  mixed 
up  with  it.  Yet  they  are  excessively  punctual  in 
the  outward  ceremonies  of  religion  ;  and  whenever 
they  remove  from  one  place  to  another,  a  large  cross, 
or  a  Madonna,  is  always  stuck  up  at  full  length  in 
the  cart.” 

In  a  conversation  which  Buonaparte  had  with  his 
friends  at  St.  Helena,  on  the  subject  of  religion,  as 
related  by  Las  Casas,  he  said,  among  many  other 
things,  “  ‘  How  is  it  possible  that  conviction  can  find 
its  way  to  our  hearts,  when  we  hear  the  absurd  lan¬ 
guage,  and  witness  the  acts  of  iniquity  of  the  greatest 
number  of  those  whose  business  it  is  to  preach  to  us  ? 
I  am  surrounded  with  priests,  who  preach  incessantly 


»  “  Picture  of  Modem  Rome,”  by  M.  Santo  Domingo. 
D.  2.  BE 


1821. 


578 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


that  their  reign  is  not  of  this  world,  and  yet  they  lay 
hands  upon  every  thing  they  can  get.  The  Pope  is 
the  head  of  that  religion  from  heaven,  and  he  thinks 
only  of  this  world,’  &c.  The  emperor  ended  the 
conversation,  by  desiring  my  son  to  bring  him  the 
New  Testament,  and  taking  it  from  the  beginning, 
he  read  as  far  as  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of 
Jesus  on  the  mountain.  He  expressed  himself 
struck  with  the  highest  admiration  at  the  purity,  the 
sublimity,  the  beauty  of  the  morality  it  contained; 
and  we  all  experienced  the  same  feeling.” 

Such  facts  may  suffice  as  specimens  of  the  bene¬ 
volence  and  morality  which  exist  in  Roman  Catholic 
countries. 

MORAL  STATE  OF  THE  PROTESTANT  CHURCH,  AND 
OF  THE  DISPOSITIONS  GENERALLY  MANIFESTED 
AMONG  CHRISTIANS  IN  OUR  OWN  COUNTRY. 

This  is  a  topic  which  would  admit  of  a  very  ex¬ 
tended  illustration;  but  my  present  limits  will  permit 
me  to  do  little  more  than  simply  to  allude  to  a  few 
prominent  dispositions  displayed  by  the  different  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  Protestant  church. — We  have  already 
seen  some  of  the  pernicious  effects  which  flowed  from 
the  divisive  and  contentious  spirit  of  Christians, 
under  the  reign  of  the  Christian  emperors,  and  dur¬ 
ing  the  middle  ages,  when  ignorance  and  intolerance 
so  extensively  prevailed.  The  present  state  of  the 
Christian  world  affords  abundant  proofs  that  this  spi¬ 
rit  is  far  from  being  extinguished. 

Christians  are  at  present  distinguished  by  the  pe¬ 
culiarity  of  their  opinions  respecting — the  Person  of 


DENOMINATIONS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  WORLD.  579 

Christ,  and  the  attributes  of  which  he  is  possessed — 
the  means  by  which  salvation  is  to  be  obtained — the 
measure  and  extent  of  divine  benevolence — the  go¬ 
vernment  of  the  Christian  church — and  the  ceremo¬ 
nies  connected  with  the  administration  of  the  ordi¬ 
nances  of  Religion.  Hence  the  Religious  world 
appears  arranged  into  such  sects  and  parties  as  the 
following  : — Arians,  Unitarians,  Sabellians,  Neces¬ 
sarians,  and  Trinitarians; — Baxterians,  Antinomians, 
Arminians,  Calvinists,  Lutherans,  Sub-lapsarians, 
Supra-lapsarians,  Sandemanians,  Swedenborgians, 
and  Moravians; — Roman  Catholics,  Protestants, 
Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Independents,  Sece- 
ders,  Psedo- Baptists,  Anti-Psedo-Baptists,  Keila- 
mites,  Methodists,  Jumpers,  Universalists,  Sabba¬ 
tarians,  Millennarians,  Destructiouists,  Hunkers, 
Shakers,  Mystics,  Hutchinsonians,  Muggletonians, 
the  followers  of  Joanna  Southcott,  &c.  &c. — Most 
of  these  sectaries  profess  their  belief  in  the  existence 
of  One  Eternal,  Almighty,  Wise,  Benevolent,  and 
Righteous  Being,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all 
things, — in  the  Divine  authority  of  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures, — that  God  is  the  alone  object  of  religious 
worship, — that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  true  Mes¬ 
siah,  and  the  son  of  God, — “  that  he  died  for  our 
offences,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justification,” 
— that  there  is  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish¬ 
ments, — that  there  will  be  a  resurrection  from  the 
dead, — that  it  is  our  duty  to  love  God  with  all  our 
hearts,  and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves, — that  the 
Divine  law  is  obligatory  on  the  consciences  of  all 
men, — that  virtue  and  piety  will  be  rewarded,  and 
vice  and  immorality  punished,  in  the  world  to  come. 

B  B  2 


580 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Yet,  though  agreeing  in  these  important  articles 
of  the  Christian  system,  how  many  boisterous  and 
malignant  disputes  have  taken  place  between  Calvin¬ 
ists  and  Arminians,  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians, 
Independents,  and  Methodists,  respecting  the  specu¬ 
lative  points  in  which  they  disagree  !  While  con¬ 
troversies  among  philosophers  have  frequently  been 
conducted  with  a  certain  degree  of  candour  and  po¬ 
liteness,  the  temper  with  which  religious  disputants 
have  encountered  the  opinions  of  each  other,  has 
generally  been  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  Christian 
love,  to  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ,  and 
even  to  common  civility  and  decorum.  The  haughty 
and  magisterial  tone  which  theological  controversial¬ 
ists  frequently  assume, — the  indignant  sneers,  the 
bitter  sarcasms,  the  malignant  insinuations,  the  per¬ 
sonal  reproaches,  they  throw  out  against  their  oppo¬ 
nents, — the  harsh  and  unfair  conclusions  they  charge 
upon  them, — the  general  asperity  of  their  language, 
— and  the  bold  and  unhallowed  spirit  with  which 
they  apply  the  denunciations  of  Scripture  to  those 
whom  they  consider  as  erroneous — are  not  only  incon¬ 
sistent  with  every  thing  that  is  amiable  and  Chris¬ 
tian,  but  tend  to  rivet  more  powerfully  in  the  minds 
of  their  opponents,  those  very  opinions  which  it  was 
their  object  to  subvert.  To  gain  a  victory  over  his 
adversary,  to  hold  up  his  sentiments  to  ridicule,  to 
wound  his  feelings,  and  to  bespatter  the  religious  body 
with  which  he  is  connected,  is  more  frequently  the 
object  of  the  disputant,  than  the  promotion  of  truth, 
and  the  manifestation  of  that  “charity  which  is  the 
bond  of  perfection.”  And  what  are  some  of  the  im¬ 
portant  doctrines  which  frequently  rouse  such  furious 


TEMPERS  DISPLAYED  BY  CONTROVERSIALISTS.  581 

zeal?  Perhaps  nothing  more  than  a  metaphysical 
dogma  respecting  the  Sonship  of  Christ,  absolute  or 
conditional  election,  the  mode  of  baptism,  the  man¬ 
ner  of  sitting  at  a  communion-table,  an  unmeaning 
ceremony,  or  a  circumstantial  punctilio  in  relation  to 
the  government  of  the  church  !  While  the  peculiar 
notions  of  each  party,  on  such  topics,  are  supported 
with  all  the  fierceness  of  unhallowed  zeal,  the  grand 
moral  objects  which  Christianity  was  intended  to 
accomplish  are  overlooked,  and  the  law  of  meekness, 
humility,  and  love,  is  trampled  under  foot. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  ideas  entertained 
respecting  the  rights  of  religious  disputants,  as  as¬ 
sumed  by  the  disputants  themselves  : — “  The  Con- 
troversalist,”  says  Mr.  Vaughan,  in  his  “  Defence 
of  Calvinism,”  “  is  a  wrestler ;  and  is  at  full  liberty 
to  do  all  he  can,  in  the  fair  and  honest  exercise  of 
his  art,  to  supplant  his  antagonist.  He  must  not 
only  be  dexterous  to  put  in  his  blow  forcibly,  but 
must  have  a  readiness  to  menace  with  scorn,  and  to 
tease  with  derision ,  if  haply  he  may,  by  these  means, 
unnerve  or  unman  his  competitor.  I  know  not  that 
he  is  under  any  obligation  to  withhold  a  particle  of 
his  skill  and  strength,  whether  offensive  or  defensive, 
in  this  truly  Spartan  conflict.”  In  perfect  accord¬ 
ance  with  these  maxims,  he  thus  addresses  his  adver¬ 
sary  : — “  Why,  Sir,  I  will  fight  you  upon  this  theme, 
as  the  Greeks  did  for  the  recovery  of  their  dead 
Patroclus ;  as  Michael  the  archangel,  when,  con¬ 
tending  with  the  devil,  he  disputed  about  the  body 
of  Moses  ;  as  the  famed  Athenian,  who  grasped  his 
ship  with  his  teeth  when  he  had  no  longer  a  hand  to 
hold  it  by.  It  shall  be  with  a  loss  not  less  than  life 


582 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


that  I  resign  this  splendid  attestation  ( Rom.  viii. 
28 — 30.)  to  the  triumphal  origin,  procession,  and 
coronation  of  grace  in  the  redeemed.” 

Woe  to  religion,  when  it  meets  with  such  bois¬ 
terous  “  wrestlers  !”  Its  true  glory  will  be  obscured, 
its  beauty  defaced,  its  interests  betrayed,  and  its 
benevolent  spirit  smothered,  amidst  the  smoke  and 
dust  raised  by  the  onsets  of  such  angry  combatants. 
Do  such  controversialists  really  imagine,  that  tc  the 
wrath  of  man  worketh  the  righteousness  of  God  ?” 
or,  that  the  religion  of  heaven  stands  in  need  of  such 
warlike  arts  and  unhallowed  passions  for  its  vindica¬ 
tion  and  defence  ?  If  it  did,  it  would  be  a  religion 
unworthy  of  our  reception  and  support.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  mild  and  gentle  spirit  of  Christianity, 
to  behold  one  zealot  dipping  his  pen  in  wormwood 
and  gall,  when  he  sits  down  to  defend  the  religion  of 
love  !  and  another,  standing  up  in  a  Synod  or  As¬ 
sembly,  with  eyes  sparkling  with  indignation,  a 
mouth  foaming  with  rage,  and  a  torrent  of  anathe¬ 
mas  and  abusive  epithets  bursting  from  his  lips, 
against  the  supposed  abettors  of  an  erroneous  opinion ! 
while,  at  the  same  time,  they  imagine  that  they  are 
fired  with  holy  zeal  for  the  honour  of  the  Lord  God 
of  Sabaoth.  Such  disputants  seem  not  to  be  aware 
that  they  are  grossly  misrepresenting  the  genius  of 
the  Christian  system,  and  bidding  defiance  to  its 
most  distinguishing  principles  and  laws. — There  are 
heresies  in  conduct  as  well  as  heresies  in  doctrine; 
and  of  all  heresies,  the  former  are  the  most  pestilen¬ 
tial  and  pernicious.  And  why  do  not  Controver¬ 
sialists  and  Religious  Societies  manifest  as  much  zeal 
against  heresies  in  temper  and  morality,  which  are 


JEALOUSIES  OF  RELIGIOUS  SECTARIES.  583 


nursed  among  the  members  of  every  church,  as  they 
do  against  heresies  in  theology?  If  these  heresies 
were  more  particularly  investigated  and  subverted, 
and  a  greater  latitude  allowed  for  the  exercise  of 
private  judgment,  the  church  of  Christ  would  pre¬ 
sent  a  very  different  moral  aspect  from  what  she  has 
hitherto  done.* 

Again,  there  is  nothing  which  so  strikingly  marks 
the  character  of  the  Christian  world  in  general,  as 
the  want  of  candour,  the  spirit  of  jealousy,  and  the 
evil  surmisings  which  the  different  denominations  of 
religionists  manifest  towards  each  other.  There  is 
a  prevailing  disposition  in  one  religious  party  to  speak 
evil  of  another  ;  and  it  appears,  in  many  instances,  to 
afford  a  degree  of  satisfaction  when  one  party  can  lay 
hold  of  the  inadvertencies  of  another  denomination, 
or  even  of  the  imprudence  of  a  single  individual,  in 
order  to  asperse  the  character  of  the  whole  body,  and 
to  hold  it  up  to  general  contempt.  Episcopalians 
look  down  with  feelings  of  contempt  on  Methodists 
and  Dissenters ;  Independents  sneer  at  Methodists, 
and  Methodists  at  Independents ;  Presbyterians  are 
disposed  to  revile  Independents,  as  self-conceited, 
sanctimonious  pretenders ;  and  Independents  to  treat 
with  unbecoming  levity,  and  even  with  ridicule,  the 
opinions  and  practices  of  Presbyterians;  while  the 


*  The  Author  is  aware  that,  in  our  times,  the  combined  exer¬ 
tions  of  Christians  of  different  denominations  to  promote  the 
knowledge  of  divine  truth,  in  our  own  and  in  other  lands,  have 
had  a  considerable  influence  in  smoothing  the  asperity  of  contro¬ 
versial  discussions ;  but  that  such  remarks  as  the  above  are  not 
yet  uncalled  for,  will  appear  obvious  to  every  one  who  has  at¬ 
tended  to  the  spirit  with  which  the  late  “  Apocryphal  Contro¬ 
versy”  was  conducted. 


584 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


different  classes  of  Baptists,  distinguishable  only  by 
the  slightest  shades  of  opinion,  stand  aloof  from  each 
other  in  a  warlike  attitude,  and  refuse  to  join  with 
cordiality  in  the  ordinances  of  Divine  worship.  I 
have  seldom  been  in  company  with  individuals  of  any 
particular  party,  in  which  I  have  not  found,  when 
allusions  were  made  to  another  denomination,  inuen- 
does  thrown  out  to  their  prejudice  ;  and  that  the  de¬ 
tail  of  any  error  or  imperfection  which  attached  to 
them,  was  generally  relished,  and  received  with  a 
degree  of  satisfaction.  Hence  it  happens,  that  the 
rules  of  common  civility  are  every  day  violated  by 
the  different  sectaries.  If  a  person  belonging  to  a 
particular  denomination  be  accidentally  introduced 
into  a  company  composed  of  persons  belonging  to 
another  religious  party,  h(j  is  frequently  treated  with 
reserve,  and  with  a  spirit  of  jealousy  and  suspicion, 
even  although  he  may  be  viewed,  on  the  whole,  as  a 
Christian  at  bottom.  I  have  known  individuals  of 
respectable  character  and  attainments,  who,  from  con¬ 
scientious  motives  had  forsaken  the  denomination  to 
which  they  formerly  belonged,  have,  merely  on  this 
account,  been  treated  with  scorn  and  neglect,  been 
banished  from  the  intimacies  of  friendly  intercourse, 
and  been  regarded  nearly  in  the  same  light  as  a  Turk 
or  an  Infidel;  and  that,  too,  by  men  who  pretended 
to  liberality,  and  to  literary  accomplishments. 

There  is  certainly  neither  heresy  nor  orthodoxy 
inherent  in  stone  or  lime,  in  a  church-pew,  or  a 
pulpit-cushion, — yet  one  denomination  will  rudely 
refuse  to  another  the  liberty  of  preaching  in  their 
place  of  worship,  when  it  can  conveniently  be  spared, 
although  nothing  but  the  fundamental  doctrines  ac- 


ILLIBERALITY  OF  RELIGIOUS  BODIES.  585 


knowledged  by  both  are  intended  to  be  proclaimed  ; 
just  as  if  the  walls,  the  pews,  and  the  pulpit  of  a 
church,  would  receive  a  stain  of  pollution  from  the 
presence  of  another  sectary.  Even  in  those  cases 
where  the  common  interests  of  Christianity  are  to  be 
supported — as  in  vindicating  the  cause  of  Mission¬ 
ary  and  other  Philanthropic  institutions — if  the 
preacher  belongs  to  a  dissenting  body,  he  is  shut  out 
from  the  spacious  churches  of  the  Establishment, 
where  he  might  address  a  numerous  audience,  and 
obtain  a  large  collection ;  and  is  obliged  to  confine 
his  exertions  within  the  narrow  walls  of  any  public 
hall,  or  meeting-house,  that  he  can  procure.  We 
account  it  no  more  that  a  piece  of  common  civility 
to  accommodate  a  neighbour  with  a  barn,  a  parlour, 
or  even  a  dining-room,  for  the  entertainment  of  his 
friends  at  a  wedding  or  a  funeral;  but,  such  is  the 
little  progress  that  professed  Christians  have  made 
in  the  exercise  of  a  noble  and  generous  liberality, 
that  when  we  ask  the  use  of  a  church  or  meeting¬ 
house,  only  for  a  couple  of  hours,  we  are  spurned 
away  with  rudeness  and  indignation. — The  Chris¬ 
tian  world  is  unhappily  divided  into  sects  and  parties  ; 
and  these  divisions  must  still  continue  for  a  time : 
but  what  should  hinder  Christian  ministers  of  differ¬ 
ent  parties,  from,  occasionally  at  least,  officiating  for 
each  other,  in  order  to  show  to  the  world,  that  they 
entertain  no  malignant  jealousies,  and  that  they  are 
united  in  the  bonds  of  a  common  Religion?  Yet, 
do  we  ever  behold  an  Episcopalian  officiating  for  a 
Methodist,  an  Independent  preaching  in  an  Estab¬ 
lished  church,  or  a  Baptist  leading  the  devotional 
exercises  of  a  society  of  Presbyterians  ?  If  such  a 

b  b  3 


586 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


case  occasionally  occur,  it  is  so  far  from  being  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  course,  that  it  is  considered  as  a  phenomenon 
in  the  religious  world.  Yet  all  these  different  par¬ 
ties  recognise  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
Revelation;  and  the  points  in  which  they  differ  are 
“  trifles  light  as  air,”  when  compared  with  those  im¬ 
portant  truths  in  which  they  all  agree.* 

Even  among  Christians  belonging  to  the  same 
religious  society,  how  often  do  we  behold  a  display 
of  “  bitter  envyings,”  contentious  dispositions,  and 
malignant  passions  !  Perhaps  a  mere  punctilio  re¬ 
specting  a  certain  mode  of  worship,  or  a  difference 
in  opinion  about  the  choice  of  a  pastor,  will  throw 
the  whole  society  into  a  flame.  Evil  passions  will 
be  engendered ;  backbitings,  whisperings,  and  dis¬ 
sensions  will  arise ;  harsh  and  unfounded  conclu¬ 
sions,  respecting  the  motives  and  characters  of  indi¬ 
viduals,  will  be  drawn ;  alienation  of  affection  will  be 
induced ;  friendly  intercourse  interrupted ;  an  atti- 


*  The  following  recent  facts  will  illustrate  some  of  the  posi¬ 
tions  contained  in  this  paragraph: — It  appears  that  the  minister 
of  the  parish  of  Annan  has  been  in  the  habit  of  allowing  Dissen¬ 
ters  occasionally  to  preach  in  the  parish  church.  Ilis  assistant 
brought  this  heavy  offence  before  a  late  meeting  of  the  Presbytery ; 
and,  by  that  body,  it  was  declared,  that  no  Dissenter  should  in 
future  pollute  the  said  pulpit.  They,  at  the  same  time,  voted 
thanks  to  the  assistant  for  his  manly  and  liberal  conduct  in  mak¬ 
ing  the  complaint. — Public  prints,  April,  1824.. 

“  Lately,  the  minister  of  a  parish  a  few  miles  to  the  westward 
of  Cupar,  hearing  that,  at  the  request  of  some  of  his  parishioners, 
a  sermon  was  to  be  preached  to  them  by  a  Dissenting  clergyman 
from  Cupar,  and  knowing  that  the  school-room  was  the  only 
place  where  that  could  be  conveniently  done,  he  called  upon  the 
teacher,  and  commanded  him  not  to  allow  the  school-room  to  be 
used  for  such  a  purpose.  In  a  few  days,  a  company  of  strolling 
players  visited  the  parish;  whereupon  the  worthy  pastor,  calling 
on  the  schoolmaster,  ordered  the  school-room  to  be  at  their  ser¬ 
vice  to  perform  in.” — Dundee  Courier,  April,  1825. 


CONTENTIONS  IN  CHRISTIAN  SOCIETIES.  587 

tude  of  hostility  assumed;  and  even  the  rules  of 
common  civility  violated ; — so  that  a  calm  and  im¬ 
partial  spectator  will  plainly  discern,  that  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  has  never  been  thoroughly  imbibed,  and 
that  they  have  never  learned  the  apostolic  precept, 
“  to  forbear  one  another  in  love,”  however  high 
pretensions  they  may  have  previously  made  to  spiri¬ 
tuality  of  affection  and  deportment. — Among  Chris¬ 
tians  of  every  name,  we  find  practices  daily  prevail¬ 
ing,  which  are  altogether  inconsistent  with  the  genius 
of  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  directly  repugnant  to 
its  precepts.  Slander,  dishonesty,  falsehood,  cheat¬ 
ing,  swindling,  and  vexatious  litigations  are  far  from 
being  uncommon  among  those  who  profess  to  be 
united  in  the  bonds  of  a  common  Christianity.  How 
little  dependence  can  we  have,  in  social  and  com¬ 
mercial  transactions,  on  the  promise  or  the  declaration 
of  a  man,  merely  on  the  ground  of  his  being  a  Chris¬ 
tian  in  profession  !  If  written  engagements  and 
civil  laws  did  not  secure  our  property,  and  the  per¬ 
formance  of  promises  and  contracts,  our  reliance  on 
Christian  principle,  abstractly  considered,  in  the  pre¬ 
sent  state  of  the  religious  world,  would  prove  like 
that  of  a  person  who  leans  upon  a  broken  reed.  How 
few  would  fulfil  their  promises  and  engagements, 
when  they  interfered  with  their  ambitious  schemes 
and  their  pecuniary  interests  !  How  many  instances 
of  fraudulent  bankruptcy  happen  among  the  profes¬ 
sors  of  religion  !  And  in  cases  of  common  bank- 
ruptcy,  where  a  legal  settlement  has  been  obtained, 
is  there  one  out  of  a  hundred  that  ever  thinks  of 
performing  an  act  of  natural  justice,  in  restoring  to 
his  creditors  the  loss  they  had  sustained,  when  he 
afterwards  has  it  in  his  power  ? 


58S 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Finally,  The  degree  in  which  the  spirit  of  intol¬ 
erance  and  'persecution  still  prevails,  shows  a  lamen¬ 
table  deficiency  of  benevolence  and  of  Christian  spirit 
in  the  religious  world.  Notwithstanding  the  un¬ 
just  and  cruel  sufferings  which  English  Protestants 
endure  from  Popish  priests  and  rulers,  a  short  period 
only  elapsed,  after  they  had  risen  to  power,  before 
they  began,  in  their  turn,  to  harass  their  dissenting 
brethren  with  vexatious  and  cruel  persecutions,  and 
fines  and  imprisonments,  till  they  were  forced  to  seek 
for  shelter  in  a  distant  land.  And  no  sooner  had 
the  English  Independents  settled  in  America,  than 
they  set  on  foot  a  prosecution  against  the  Quakers, 
no  less  furious  than  that  which  they  themselves  had 
suffered  in  the  country  from  which  they  had  fled. 
A  number  of  those  worthy  persons  they  threw  into 
prison,  and  seized  upon  the  books  they  had  brought 
from  England,  and  committed  them  to  the  flames. 
In  virtue  of  a  law  which  had  been  made  against 
heretics  in  general,  sentence  of  banishment  was  passed 
upon  them  all;  and  another  law  punished  with  death , 
“  all  Quakers  who  should  return  into  the  jurisdic¬ 
tion  after  banishment;”  and  it  is  a  fact,  that  four 
persons  actually  suffered  death  under  this  impolitic 
and  unjust  law.”*  Nor  did  the  reformed  clergy 
in  Scotland  lose  sight  of  that  magisterial  authority 
which  had  been  assumed  by  the  Romish  church. 
Upon  a  representation,  in  1646,  from  the  Commis- 


*  Morse’s  American  Geography _ The  following  severe  laws, 

among  others,  were  enacted  against  the  Quakers.  “  Any  Quaker, 
after  the  first  conviction,  if  a  man,  was  to  lose  one  ear, — and  for 
the  second  offence,  the  other; — a  woman,  to  be  each  time  se¬ 
verely  whipped ; — and  the  third  time,  whether  man  or  woman, 
lo  have  their  tongues  bored  through  with  a  red  hot  iron." 


MODERN  PERSECUTION  AND  INTOLERANCE.  589 

sion  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  James  Bell  and  Colin 
Campbell,  baillies  of  Glasgow,  were  committed  to 
prison  by  the  Parliament,  merely  for  having  said, 
that  “  Kirkmen  meddled  too  much  in  civil  matters.”* 
Even  so  late  as  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
when  Whitefield,  and  other  pious  men,  began  to 
address  the  ignorant  villagers  of  England  on  the 
most  important  subjects,  “  a  multitude  has  rushed 
together,  shouting  and  howling,  raving  and  cursing, 
and  accompanying  their  ferocious  cries  and  yells  with 
loathsome  or  dangerous  missiles,  driving  the  preacher 
from  his  humble  stand,  forcing  him,  and  the  few  who 
wished  to  hear  him,  to  flee  for  their  lives,  sometimes 
not  without  serious  injury  before  they  could  escape. 
And  these  savage  tumults  have,  in  many  cases,  been 
well  understood  to  be  instigated  by  persons,  whose 
advantage  of  superior  condition  in  life,  or  even  ex¬ 
press  vocation  to  instruct  the  people  better,  has  been 
infamously  lent  in  defence  of  the  perpetrators,  against 
shame  or  remorse,  or  legal  punishment  for  the  out¬ 
rage.  And  there  would  be  no  hazard  in  affirming, 
that  since  Wesley  and  Whitefield  began  to  conflict 
with  the  heathenism  of  the  country,  there  have  been 
in  it  hundreds  of  instances  answering  in  substance 
to  this  description.  Yet  the  good  and  zealous  men 
who  were  thus  set  upon  by  a  furious  rabble  of  many 
hundreds,  the  foremost  of  whom  active  in  direct  vio¬ 
lence,  and  the  rest  venting  their  ferocious  delight 
in  a  hideous  blending  of  ribaldry  and  execration,  of 
joking  and  cursing,  were  taxed  with  a  canting  hypoc¬ 
risy,  or  a  fanatical  madness,  for  speaking  of  the 


*  Kaims’  Sketches  of  the  History  of  Man. 


590 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


prevailing  ignorance,  in  terms  equivalent  to  those  of 
the  prophet,  ‘  The  people  are  destroyed  for  lack  of 
knowledge.’  ”  * 

But  we  need  not  go  back  even  to  the  distance 
of  half  a  century,  in  order  to  find  instances  of  reli¬ 
gious  intolerance  among  Protestant  communities  and 
churches  ;  our  own  times  unhappily  furnish  too  many 
examples  of  a  bigotted,  intolerant,  and  persecuting 
spirit.  Little  more  than  two  years  have  elapsed 
since  the  Methodist  chapel  in  Barbadoes  was  thrown 
down  and  demolished  by  the  mob-gentry,  and  with 
the  connivance  of  the  public  authorities  of  that  slave¬ 
trafficking  island;  and  Mr.  Shrewsbury,  a  worthy  and 
respected  pastor  and  missionary,  obliged  to  flee  for 
his  life.  Previous  to  this  outrage,  he  suffered  every 
species  of  insult,  contumely,  and  reproach.  He  was 
abused  as  a  villain,  and  hissed  in  the  public  streets, 
not  by  mere  rabble,  but  by  the  great  vulgar  ;  by 
merchants  from  their  stores,  and  individuals  in  the 
garb  of  gentlemen.  By  such  characters  his  chapel 
was  surrounded,  and  partly  filled,  on  Sunday  the 
5th  October,  1823.  Thin  glass  bottles  had  been 
previously  prepared,  and  filled  with  a  mixture  of  oil 
and  assafcetida ;  and,  all  of  a  sudden,  they  were 
thrown  with  great  violence  in  the  midst  of  the  people, 
and  one  was  aimed  at  the  head  of  the  preacher;  and 
during  the  whole  service,  stones  were  rattling  against 
the  chapel  from  every  quarter.  On  the  next  Sabbath 
an  immense  concourse  of  people  assembled,  “  breath¬ 
ing  out  threatenings  and  slaughter ;”  and  from 
twenty  to  thirty  of  the  gentlemen-mob  planted  them- 


*  Foster’s  Essay  on  Popular  Ignorance. 


PERSECUTION  IN  BARBADOES. 


591 


selves  around  the  pulpit,  apparently  ready  for  any 
mischief.  Men  wearing  masks,  and  having  swords 
and  pistols,  came  galloping  down  the  street,  and  pre¬ 
senting  their  pistols,  fired  them  at  the  door ;  and  it 
was  originally  designed  to  have  fired  crackers  among 
the  females,  to  set  their  clothes  on  fire.  At  length, 
on  Sabbath  the  19th,  this  execrable  mob,  consisting 
of  nearly  200  gentlemen  and  others,  again  assembled, 
with  hammers,  saws,  hatchets,  crows,  and  every  other 
necessary  implement ;  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
hours,  the  lamps,  benches,  pews,  pulpit,  and  even 
the  walls,  were  completely  demolished.  They  en¬ 
tered  the  dwelling-house,  broke  the  windows  and 
doors,  threw  out  the  crockery  ware,  chopped  up 
tables,  chairs,  and  every  article  of  furniture  ;  tore 
the  manuscripts  of  the  preacher,  and  destroyed  a 
library  of  more  than  300  volumes.  All  this  was 
done  under  the  light  of  the  full  moon,  in  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  an  immense  crowd  of  spectators,  without 
the  least  attempt  being  made  to  check  them,  either 
by  the  civil  or  military  authorities ;  while  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  preacher,  with  his  wife  in  an  advanced  state  of 
pregnancy,  had  to  flee  to  a  neighbouring  island  to 
save  his  life  !  Such  is  the  tolerant  and  humane 
conduct  of  gentlemen  Protestants  of  the  nineteenth 
century  !  gentlemen  who  would,  no  doubt,  consider 
it  very  unhandsome  were  they  to  be  compared  to 
Goths  and  Vandals,  or  to  the  rude  and  barbarous 
savages  of  Papua  or  New  Holland.* 

About  the  same  period,  the  authorities  of  Deme- 

*  For  a  more  particular  detail  of  these  execrable  transactions, 
see  “  Report  of  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society  for  1824;”  and 
the  “  Debates  in  Parliament  in  1825.” 


592 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


rara  set  on  foot  a  persecution  against  Mr.  Smith, 
missionary  from  the  London  Society,  under  various 
pretexts:  but  his  real  crime,  in  the  eyes  of  his  per¬ 
secutors  was  his  unwearied  zeal  in  instructing  the 
negroes  in  the  knowledge  of  religion.  He  was  con¬ 
demned  to  death  by  a  court-martial,  in  the  face  of 
every  principle  of  justice  :  he  died  in  prison,  was  re¬ 
fused  the  privilege  of  a  Christian  burial,  and  his 
friends  were  prohibited  from  erecting  a  stone  to  mark 
the  spot  where  his  body  was  laid.  The  whole  de¬ 
tails  of  this  transaction  present  a  scene  of  savage 
barbarity,  created  by  the  lust  of  gain,  scarcely  to  be 
paralleled  in  the  history  of  Europe. 

In  Switzerland,  which  was  formerly  the  head¬ 
quarters  of  Protestantism,  the  demon  of  religious 
persecution  has  lately  reared  its  head.  The  coun¬ 
cil  of  state  of  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  at  the  instigation 
of  the  clergy,  on  January  15,  1825,  published  a  de¬ 
cree,  “prohibiting,  under  the  penalty  of  severe  fines 
and  imprisonments,  all  meetings  for  religious  wor¬ 
ship  or  instruction,  other  than  those  of  the  Estab¬ 
lished  Church  and,  in  the  following  May,  another 
decree  was  issued,  which  denounces  “  fines,  impri¬ 
sonment,  or  banishment,  upon  the  most  private  kind  of 
religious  assembly,  or  even  the  admission  of  a  single 
visitor  to  family  worship.”  In  pursuance  of  these 
disgraceful  laws,  several  ministers  and  private  Chris¬ 
tians  of  high  character  for  piety  and  acquirements, 
have  been  banished  from  the  Canton,  some  for  one, 
and  some  for  two  years — cut  off  from  the  means  of 
subsistence,  unless  possessed  of  independent  fortunes, 
and  left  perhaps  to  starve  and  perish  in  foreign  lands. 
If  they  return  before  the  expiration  of  their  sentence, 


PERSECUTION  IN  SWITZERLAND. 


593 


it  is  said  that  death  is  the  punishment  to  be  inflicted. 
One  poor  man,  a  schoolmaster,  in  the  principality  of 
Neufchatel,  has  been  condemned  to  ten  years’  ban¬ 
ishment.  He  was  brought  out  from  prison,  tied 
with  cords,  and  compelled  to  kneel  in  the  snow  in 
the  public  square  to  hear  his  sentence  read.  His 
crime  was,  gathering  together  a  few  fellow- Christians 
in  his  own  house,  and  there  having  the  Lord’s  sup¬ 
per  administered  by  a  regularly  ordained  minister  !  * 
And  is  England  pure  from  the  spirit  of  persecu¬ 
tion  and  intolerance  ?  Let  us  see. — At  Kenneridge, 
in  Dorsetshire,  a  worthy  individual,  belonging  to  the 
Wesleyan  denomination,  had  attended  on  a  green, 
where  twenty  or  thirty  persons  usually  congregated, 
on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  to  listen  to  the  truths  he 
thought  it  important  to  declare.  The  clergyman  of 
the  parish  approached  with  a  retinue  of  servants,  and 
commanded  him  to  desist.  The  preacher  took  no 
notice  of  the  command,  and  proceeded  to  read  his 
text.  The  clergyman  then  commanded  the  tithing- 
man  to  seize  him.  Lie  was  conveyed  to  Wareham 
jail ;  and  to  every  question  the  preacher  put,  as  to 
the  ground  of  his  being  seized  upon,  the  reverend 
and  worthy  clergyman  only  replied  by  the  brandish¬ 
ing  of  his  stick. — Instances  have  occurred  in  which 

o 

clergymen  of  the  Establishment  have  refused  to  bury 
the  dead.  At  Chidds  Ercal,  in  Shropshire,  the  child 
of  a  poor  man  was  refused  interment,  and  the  father 
was  obliged  to  carry  it  six  miles,  before  it  could  be 
laid  at  rest  in  its  mother-earth. — At  Catsfield,  in 


*  See  a  pamphlet  on  this  subject,  by  Dr.  Pye  Smith.  See  also 
Cong.  Mag.  for  June  1825;  and  other  periodical  works  ol  that  date. 


594 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Sussex,  a  similar  act  of  infamy  was  committed.  At 
the  moment  when  the  bell  had  tolled,  when  the  earth 
was  to  fall  heavily  upon  the  coffin  containing  the  only 
remains  of  the  being  that  affection  had  endeared,  and 
when  those  who  stood  by  needed  all  the  consolations 
that  religion  can  supply — at  this  moment  the  clergy¬ 
man  appeared,  but  advanced  only  to  give  pain  to  the 
mourners,  and  to  agonize  a  parent’s  heart,  by  saying, 
“  Now  that  you  have  waited  an  hour  till  it  suited  me 
to  come,  I  will  not  inter  your  child  !  I  did  not 
know  that  you  were  Dissenters — take  your  child 
elsewhere — take  it  where  you  please,  but  here  it 
shall  not  lie  in  consecrated  ground.”  And,  in  fact, 
they  were  compelled  to  carry  the  child  eleven,  miles 
from  the  abode  of  its  parents,  and  from  the  place 
that  gave  it  birth,  before  it  could  find  repose  in  its 
kindred  dust. — At  Mevagissey,  in  the  county  of 
Cornwall,  the  vicar  refused  to  allow  the  corpse  of  a 
Dissenter  to  be  brought  within  the  church,  and, 
therefore,  read  the  burial  service  in  the  open  air ; 
but,  in  consequence  of  which,  he  read  only  a  part  of 
that  service,  and  omitted  the  most  beautiful  portion. 
Such  a  power  appears  to  be  conceded  to  the  clergy 
by  the  laws  of  the  church;  but  the  spirit  which  gave 
it  existence  is  deeply  to  be  deplored,  as  the  spirit  of 
bigotry  and  intolerance. — At  Wellingborough,  a 
clergyman,  in  opposition  to  a  custom  which  had  been 
established  for  sixty  years,  issued  orders,  that  no 
bell  should  toll  when  a  Dissenter  expired.  He 
boldly  avowed,  “  that  he  never  would  permit  the 
passing  bell  to  be  rung  for  a  Dissenter,  even  in  the 
event  of  an  interment  in  the  church-yard; — that 
whilst  he  held  the  curacy,  no  bell  of  his  church 


INTOLERANCE  IN  ENGLAND. 


595 


should  ever  toll  for  a  Dissenter;  and  that  he  would 
not  even  permit  the  bells  to  ring  for  a  marriage 
where  the  parties  were  Dissenters.”  In  reference  to 
this  case,  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  Bishop  of  Pe¬ 
terborough,  who  wrote  a  long  letter  on  the  subject, 
and  defended  the  conduct  of  this  Wellingborough 
curate. — At  Newport  Pagnell,  two  persons  of  decent 
appearance,  teachers  of  Baptist  Societies,  were  col¬ 
lecting  subscriptions  for  the  erection  of  a  new  place 
of  worship.  After  arriving  at  the  residence  of  the 
parish  clergyman,  they  were  taken  before  a  clerical 
magistrate,  who,  upon  the  oath  of  the  other  clergy¬ 
man,  that  they  were  rogues  and  vagrants,  committed 
them  to  Aylesbury  jail,  where  they  were  confined  for 
three  weeks  in  common  with  the  basest  felons ;  among 
convicted  thieves  of  the  most  abandoned  character ; 
— nay,  more,  they  were  sentenced  to  the  tread-mill, 
and  kept  at  hard  labour  there,  though,  during  the 
whole  time,  one  of  them  was  afflicted  with  spitting  of 
blood.  Their  papers  were  seized;  their  money  was 
taken  from  them  ;  and,  by  means  of  it,  the  expenses 
of  sending  them  to  prison  were  defrayed.* 

All  the  above-stated  instances,  and  many  others  of 
a  similar  description,  occurred  within  the  limits  of  the 
year  1824 ;  and  every  year  since  the  “  Society  for  the 
Protection  of  Religious  Liberty”  was  formed,  simi¬ 
lar  instances,  some  of  them  of  a  more  barbarous  na¬ 
ture,  have  been  brought  forth  to  public  view.  And 
were  it  not  for  the  protection  which  this  Society 


*  The  reader  will  find  a  more  particular  detail  of  these  cases, 
in  the  Address  of  John  Wilks,  Esq.  at  the  Fourteenth  Anniver¬ 
sary  of  the  “  Protestant  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Religious 
Liberty,”  in  May,  1825. 


596 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


affords  to  the  victims  of  intolerance,  it  is  highly  pro¬ 
bable,  that  vexatious  prosecutions,  insults,  fines,  and 
imprisonments,  on  account  of  differences  in  religious 
opinion,  would  be  much  more  common  than  they 
now  are.  Were  such  individuals  as  those  to  whom 
we  have  now  alluded,  permitted,  by  the  laws  of  our 
country,  to  carry  their  intolerant  spirit  to  its  utmost 
extent,  Dissenters  would  have  no  security  either  for 
their  property  or  their  lives;  and  the  fires  of  Smith- 
field  would  again  be  kindled,  to  torture  the  souls, 
and  to  consume  the  bodies  of  all  who  refused  to 
conform  to  the  dogmas  of  the  national  church. 

After  what  has  been  stated  in  the  preceding  part 
of  this  work,  it  is  almost  needless  to  say,  that  such 
an  intolerant  and  persecuting  spirit  is  diametrically 
opposite  to  every  principle  that  pervades  the  Chris¬ 
tian  system  ;  and  there  cannot  be  a  grosser  misre¬ 
presentation  of  its  spirit  and  tendency,  than  to  ascribe 
such  dispositions  to  the  genius  of  that  religion  which 
Intolerance  has  thought  proper  to  assume.  Can 
a  single  instance  be  produced  of  a  persecuting  spirit 
in  the  conduct  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  in  that  of  any  one 
of  his  Apostles  ?  When  he  “  was  reviled,  he  re¬ 
viled  not  again :  when  he  suffered,  he  threatened 
not and  he  solemnly  rebuked  his  followers,  when 
the  least  symptom  of  intolerance  or  revenge  was  dis¬ 
played.  Can  a  religion  which  commands  us  to  “  love 
our  neighbours  as  ourselves — to  be  kindly  affectioned 
one  towards  another — to  love  our  enemies — to  do 
good  to  them  that  hate  us — to  bless  them  that  curse 
us — and  to  pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  us,” 
— can  such  a  religion  be  supposed  to  give  the  least 
countenance  to  actions  that  are  both  intolerant  and 


GENERAL  REFLECTIONS. 


597 


inhumane  ?  If  the  religion  of  Christ  have  any  one 
prominent  object  which  distinguishes  it  from  all 
others,  it  is  this — to  unite  mankind  in  one  harmoni¬ 
ous  and  affectionate  society ;  but  such  an  object  is 
altogether  incompatible  with  resentment,  intolerance, 
or  persecution,  in  any  shape  :  “  By  this  shall  all  men 
know,”  says  Jesus,  “  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye 
love  one  another.” 


Here  I  must  close  my  illustrations  of  the  moral 
state  of  mankind,  though  they  might  have  been  car¬ 
ried  to  a  much  greater  extent.  They  present  to 
every  benevolent  mind  a  gloomy  picture  of  the  moral 
aspect  of  the  human  race,  and  of  the  evils  which  the 
principle  of  malevolence  carries  in  its  train.  It  is  a 
picture  which  shows  us  that  those  moral  principles 
and  laws  which  the  Creator  intended  to  promote  the 
felicity  of  all  worlds,  have  never  yet  been  brought 
into  full  effect  in  the  world  in  which  we  live.  It  is 
a  picture,  however,  from  which  we  ought  not  to  turn 
away  our  eyes.  It  sets  before  us  the  evils  w7hich  re¬ 
quire  to  be  counteracted,  and  the  obstacles  which 
must  be  surmounted,  before  the  principles  of  malig¬ 
nity  be  extirpated,  and  the  moral  principles  of  the 
Christian  system  take  root  in  the  world.  But  such 
views  of  the  existing  state  of  the  moral  world,  so  far 
from  operating  as  sedatives,  ought  to  stimulate  us  to 
exert  every  energy,  and  to  use  every  judicious  and 
powerful  mean,  which  has  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
accomplishment  of  this  important  object. 

It  would  have  given  me  pleasure  to  have  presented 
before  the  eye  of  the  reader  a  more  cheerful  and  al- 


598 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


luring  picture ;  but  “  facts  are  stubborn  things,” 
and  there  is  no  resisting  the  force  of  the  evidence 
which  they  adduce.  I  intended  to  relieve  some  of 
the  dark  shades  of  this  picture,  by  exhibiting  some 
faint  radiations  of  truth  and  benevolence  which  are 
still  visible  amidst  the  surrounding  gloom.  For, 
amidst  the  moral  darkness  which  has  so  long  covered 
the  earth,  some  streaks  of  celestial  light  have  always 
been  visible ;  and  the  dawning  of  a  brighter  day  now 
begins  to  gild  our  horizon.  Substantial  knowledge 
is  beginning  to  diffuse  its  benign  influence  on  all 
ranks  ;  the  shackles  of  despotism  are  bursting  asun¬ 
der;  the  darkness  of  superstition  is  gradually  dispel¬ 
ling  ;  the  spirit  of  persecution  is  borne  down  by  the 
force  of  truth  and  of  common  sense,  and  the  rights  of 
conscience  are  beginning  to  be  generally  recognised. 
Philanthropic  institutions  of  various  descriptions  have 
been  established  ;  education  is  extending  its  benefi¬ 
cial  effects  ;  the  instruction  of  the  young  is  becoming 
an  object  of  more  general  attention  ;  philosophical 
institutions,  village  libraries,  and  associations  for 
intellectual  improvement,  are  rapidly  organizing ; 
Bible  and  missionary  societies  are  extending  their 
influence  through  every  portion  of  the  religious  world, 
and  Christianity  is  now  beginning  to  display  its 
beneficent  energies  on  distant  continents,  and  the 
islands  of  the  ocean.  But,  instead  of  entering  into 
details  in  the  illustration  of  these  and  similar  effects 
which  have  always,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  ac¬ 
companied  the  progress  of  the  Christian  religion,  I 
shall,  in  the  meantime,  refer  the  reader  to  the  excel¬ 
lent  work  of  Dr.  Ryan,  <c  On  the  History  of  the 
Effects  of  Religion  on  Mankind.” 


EXAMPLES  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


599 


Here  a  question  may  be  proposed  by  some  of  my 
readers, — Is  it  possible  to  bring  the  inhabitants  of 
this  world,  in  their  present  depraved  state,  to  a  gene¬ 
ral  observance  of  the  laws  of  benevolence  which  have 
been  illustrated  in  the  preceding  part  of  this  work  ? 
To  such  a  question  I  would  reply, —  Whatever  man 
has  done ,  man  may  do.  Amidst  the  depravity  and 
the  darkness  with  which  the  earth  has  been  gene¬ 
rally  enveloped,  individuals  have  occasionally  arisen 
who  have  shone  as  lights  in  the  moral  world,  and  ex¬ 
hibited  bright  patterns  of  Christian  temper  and  of 
active  beneficence.  The  Apostle  Paul  had  his  mind 
imbued  with  a  large  portion  of  the  spirit  of  love. 
He  voluntarily  embarked  in  a  tour  of  benevolence 
through  the  nations ;  and  in  spite  of  reproaches, 
persecutions,  stripes,  and  imprisonments;  in  the  midst 
of  “  perils  in  the  waters,  perils  of  robbers,  perils  by 
his  own  countrymen,  perils  in  the  city,  and  perils  in 
the  wilderness and  in  the  face  of  every  danger, 
and  of  death  itself,  he  prosecuted,  with  a  noble  hero¬ 
ism,  his  labour  of  love,  purely  for  the  sake  of  pro¬ 
moting  the  best  interests  of  mankind.  All  the  Apos¬ 
tles  engaged  in  the  same  benevolent  undertaking  ; 
they  sacrificed  every  private  interest,  and  every  sel¬ 
fish  consideration  ;  “  neither  counted  they  their  lives 
dear  unto  themselves,  so  that  they  might  finish  their 
course  with  joy,”  and  be  the  means  of  acomplishing 
the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men. 

Even  in  our  own  times,  many  distinguished  indi¬ 
viduals  have  arisen,  who  have  reflected  honour  on 
our  species.  The  name  of  lioivard  is  familiar  to 
every  one  who  is  in  the  least  acquainted  with  the 
annals  of  philanthrophy,  (seep.  50.)  This  excellent 


600 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


man,  and  truly  philanthropic  character,  devoted  his 
time,  his  strength,  his  genius,  his  literary  acquisi¬ 
tions,  and  his  fortune,  to  the  cause  of  humanity,  and 
finally  sacrificed  his  life,  in  the  unwearied  prosecu¬ 
tion  of  active  benevolence.  He  travelled  over  every 
country  in  Europe,  and  in  the  adjacent  regions  of 
Asia,  impelled  by  the  spirit  of  Christian  love,  in  or¬ 
der  to  survey  the  mansions  of  sorrow  and  of  pain, 
and  to  devise  schemes  for  the  relief  of  human 
wretchedness  wherever  it  existed  ;  and  in  the  exe¬ 
cution  of  this  scheme  of  benevolence,  the  energies  of 
his  mind  were  so  completely  absorbed,  that  “he  never 
suffered  himself,  for  a  moment,  to  be  diverted  from 
carrying  it  into  effect,  even  by  the  most  attractive  of 
those  objects  which  formerly  possessed  all  their  most 
powerful  influence  upon  his  curiosity  and  his  taste.”* 
The  late  Walter  Venning,  Esq.  who  has  been 
denominated,  by  Prince  Galitzin,  th e  second  Hoivard, 
walked  in  the  steps  of  his  illustrious  predecessor,  and, 
with  the  most  fervent  Christian  zeal,  devoted  his 
short,  but  useful  life,  to  the  alleviation  of  human 
misery,  and  to  the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of 
thousands  who  were  “ready  to  perish.”  He  with¬ 
drew  himself  from  the  ordinary  round  of  genteel 
society,  and  declined  all  commercial  business,  that  he 
might  devote  the  whole  energies  of  his  soul  to  bene¬ 
volent  occupations.  He  commenced  his  philanthro¬ 
pic  career,  by  co-operating  in  the  formation  of  the 
“  Society  for  Improvement  of  Prison  Discipline,” 
which  was  formed  in  London  in  1816;  and  after- 


*  For  a  particular  account  of  the  labours  of  this  eminent  phi¬ 
lanthropist,  see  Brown’s  “  Memoirs  of  the  Public  and  Private 
Life  of  John  Howard.” 


EXAMPLES  OP  BENEVOLENCE. 


601 


wards  visited  the  prisons  in  Petersburg!),  Novogorod, 
Tver,  Moscow,  and  other  cities  in  the  Russian  em¬ 
pire.  The  prisons,  hospitals,  work-houses,  mad¬ 
houses,  houses  of  correction,  and  the  abodes  of  misery 
of  every  description  in  Petersburg!),  were  visited  by 
him  day  after  day  :  “  and  many  a  prisoner,  bowed 
down  with  affliction  and  iron,  was  cheered,  instructed, 
and  saved  by  his  ministrations:”  for  his  philan¬ 
thropy  extended  both  to  the  bodies  and  to  the  souls 
of  men.* 

Many  other  examples  might  be  produced  from 
the  annals  of  our  times,  and  of  illustrious  characters 
now  living,  to  demonstrate,  that  a  noble  and  disin¬ 
terested  benevolence  is  a  principle  capable  of  being 
exercised,  even  in  the  present  degenerate  state  of  the 
inhabitants  of  our  world.  We  find  parents  sometimes 
displaying  a  high  degree  of  benevolent  feeling  towards 
their  offspring,  and  sacrificing  their  ease  and  their  per¬ 
sonal  interests,  in  order  to  secure  their  health,  their 
comfort,  and  enjoyment.  We  find  bosom  friends, 
like  David  and  Jonathan,  and  like  Damon  and  Py¬ 
thias,  rejoicing  in  the  welfare  of  each  other,  and 
braving  difficulties  and  dangers  in  promoting  the  in¬ 
terests  of  the  objects  of  their  friendship.  What, 
then,  should  hinder  such  dispositions  from  becoming 
universal  ?  What  should  hinder  them  from  being 
transferred  to  all  the  sensitive  and  intellectual  beings 
with  whom  we  may  have  occasion  to  correspond  or 
to  associate?  Would  not  the  universal  exercise  ol 
such  dispositions  be  highly  desirable  ?  would  it  not 


*  Mr.  Venning  died  in  Petersburg!)  in  1821,  in  the  fortieth  year 
of  his  age. 

D  .2.  c  c 


602 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tend  to  banish  war  and  discord  from  the  world,  and 
to  promote  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will  among  men? 
Why,  then,  are  such  dispositions  so  seldom  dis¬ 
played  ?  Not  because  the  universal  exercise  of  them 
is  a  thing  impossible ;  but  because  men,  actuated  by 
selfishness,  are  unwilling  to  give  full  scope  to  the 
benevolent  affections;  and  because  they  have  never 
yet  employed  all  the  requisite  means  for  bringing 
them  into  full  operation.  If  all  the  energies  of  the 
intellect,  and  all  the  treasures  which  have  been  ex¬ 
pended  in  fostering  malignant  passions,  and  in  pro¬ 
moting  contentions  and  warfare,  had  been  devoted  to 
the  great  object  of  cultivating  the  principle  of  bene¬ 
volence,  and  distributing  happiness  among  men ;  the 
moral  and  physical  state  of  our  world  would  long 
ago  have  assumed  a  very  different  aspect  from  what 
it  now  wears. 

The  philanthropic  individuals  to  whom  I  have 
alluded,  were  men  whose  actions  were  sometimes 
blended  with  the  imperfections  incident  to  degene¬ 
rated  humanity;  but  the  principle  of  benevolence 
ruled  supreme  over  all  the  subordinate  affections  : 
and  if  the  world  were  peopled  with  such  men,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  imperfections  which  attached  to 
them,  society,  in  every  land,  would  present  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  a  moral  paradise,  and  form  an  image  of 
the  harmony  and  felicity  of  <{  the  saints  in  light.” 
Every  one  who  believes  in  the  existence  of  a  future 
state,  fondly  imagines  that  he  shall  enjoy  happiness 
in  that  state.  But,  whence  is  his  happiness  to  arise 
in  the  future  world,  but  from  the  exercise  of  those 
dispositions  which  the  law  of  God  requires  ?  And  if 
the  exercise  of  benevolent  dispositions  be  essentially 


EXAMPLES  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


603 


requisite  for  securing  supreme  felicity  in  the  eternal 
state,  their  cultivation,  even  in  the  present  world, 
must  be  indispensable ,  in  order  to  our  preparation 
for  the  employments  of  the  celestial  world.  For  it 
is  a  law  of  the  Creator,  which  is  eternal  and  immut¬ 
able,  that  “  without  holiness,  no  man  can  see  the 
Lord.”  And  whenever  the  requisite  means  are 
employed  for  the  cultivation  of  holy  dispositions,  we 
may  rest  assured  that  our  labour  will  be  crowned 
with  success.  For,  the  energy  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
from  whom  proceedeth  every  good  and  perfect  gift, 
is  promised  to  accompany  the  use  of  every  proper 
mean,  so  as  to  render  it  effectual  for  counteracting 
the  effects  of  moral  evil,  and  promoting  the  renova¬ 
tion  of  the  world. 

We  have  examples  before  us,  not  only  of  a  few 
insulated  individuals,  but  of  societies,  where  the 
principle  of  benevolence,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
pervades  the  whole  mass.  The  people  who  have 
been  denominated  Quakers ,  have  always  been  distin¬ 
guished  by  their  humane  and  peaceable  dispositions, 
their  hospitality  to  each  other,  the  cheerfulness  of 
their  manners,  their  opposition  to  war,  and  the  ac¬ 
tive  zeal  which  they  have  displayed  in  contribut¬ 
ing  to  the  good  of  mankind.  The  Moravians  are 
also  distinguished  for  their  affectionate  intercourse 
with  each  other,  the  liberality  of  their  dispositions, 
the  peaceableness  of  their  tempers,  the  purity  of  their 
lives,  and  their  missionary  efforts  for  evangelizing 
the  heathen  world.*  Would  to  God  that  the  whole 


*  The  following  anecdote  is  illustrative  of  the  character  of  many 

of  the  Moravians,  or  Hernbutters,  as  they  are  sometimes  called _ 

In  a  late  war  in  Germany,  a  captain  of  cavalry  was  ordered  out 

C  C  2 


604 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


world  were  Quakers  and  Moravians,  notwithstanding 
their  peculiarities  of  opinion.  With  all  their  foibles 
and  imperfections,  society  would  then  wear  a  more 
beautiful  and  alluring  aspect  than  it  has  ever  yet 
done;  peace  and  industry  would  be  promoted;  the 
fires  of  persecution  would  be  quenched  ;  philanthropy 
would  go  forth  among  the  nations,  distributing  a 
thousand  blessings,  and  the  people  would  learn  war 
no  more. 


I  intended,  in  this  place,  to  inquire  into  the 

MEANS  BY  WHICH  THE  PRACTICE  OF  CHRISTIAN 


on  a  foraging  party.  He  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  troop,  and 
inarched  to  the  quarter  assigned  him.  It  was  in  a  solitary  valley, 
in  which  hardly  any  thing  but  woods  were  to  be  seen.  In  the 
midst  of  it  stood  a  little  cottage  ;  on  perceiving  it,  he  rode  up, 
and  knocked  at  the  door :  out  comes  an  ancient  Hernhutter,  with 
a  beard  silvered  by  age.  “Father,”  says  the  officer,  “show  me 
a  field  where  I  can  set  my  troopers  a-toraging.”  “  Presently,” 
replied  the  Hernhutter.  The  good  old  man  walked  before,  and 
conducted  them  out  of  the  valley.  After  a  quarter  of  an  hour’s 
march,  they  found  a  field  of  barley.  “  There  is  the  very  thing  we 
want,”  says  the  Captain.  “  Have  patience  for  a  very  few  min¬ 
utes,”  replied  the  guide,  “and  you  shall  be  satisfied.”  They  went 
on,  and,  about  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  league  farther,  they 
arrived  at  another  field  of  barley.  The  troop  immediately  dis¬ 
mounted,  cut  down  the  grain,  trussed  it  up,  and  remounted. 
The  officer,  upon  this,  says  to  his  conductor,  “Father,  you  have 
given  yourself  and  us  unnecessary  trouble;  the  first  field  was  much 
better  than  this.”  “Very  true,  sir,”  replied  the  good  old  man, 
“  but  it  was  not  mine.” — Here  we  have  a  beautiful  practical  ex¬ 
hibition  of  love  Lo  our  neighbour,  and  of  calm  resignation  to  the 
providential  dispensations  of  God.  How  few  professed  Chris¬ 
tians  have  been  found  acting  in  this  manner !  And  yet,  I  doubt 
not,  that  this  good  man  would  experience  more  true  satisfaction 
in  the  temper  and  conduct  he  displayed,  than  if  he  had  either 
offered  resistance,  practised  dissimulation,  or  set  the  troop  to 
plunder  his  neighbour’s  field.  A  number  of  disinterested  actions 
such  as  this,  would  contribute  more  powerfully  to  the  support  of 
the  Christian  cause  than  a  thousand  theological  disputes,  imbued 
with  the  spirit  and  temper  with  which  they  have  been  frequently 
conducted. 


MEANS  OF  PROMOTING  BENEVOLENCE.  605 

MORALITY  MIGHT  BE  PROMOTED  ;  but  I  find,  that 
this  is  a  subject  which  would  require  a  distinct  vol¬ 
ume  for  its  illustration.  At  present,  I  can  suggest 
only  two  or  three  hints. 

In  the  first  place,  The  intellectual  instruction  of 
the  young  should  he  an  object  of  universal  attention, 
both  in  public  and  private.  For  true  knowledge  is 
the  spring  of  all  religious  emotions,  and  of  all  virtu¬ 
ous  actions.  By  intellectual  instruction,  I  do  not 
mean  merely  a  series  of  exercises  in  spelling,  pro¬ 
nouncing,  parsing,  construing,  writing,  and  figuring  ; 
but  a  communication  of  the  elements  of  thought,  and 
of  clear  and  extensive  conceptions  of  the  physical  and 
moral  relations  of  the  universe. 

2.  The  moral  instruction  of  the  young  should  be 
an  object  of  particular  and  incessant  attention.  Moral 
instruction  should  be  inculcated,  not  merely  by  a 
reiteration  of  dry  precepts,  maxims,  and  abstract  doc¬ 
trines,  or  by  a  reference  to  the  details  and  flimsy 
sentiments  contained  in  fictitious  narratives ;  but  by 
a  pointed  and  specific  reference  to  real  facts  ;  as  ex¬ 
hibited  in  the  Sacred  History,  the  annals  of  nations, 
and  in  the  scenes  of  the  family,  and  of  general  so¬ 
ciety.  I  would  expect  no  greater  assistance  in  the 
work  of  moral  instruction,  from  the  Religious  Novels 
with  which  the  Christian  world  is  now  deluged,  than 
I  would  do  from  a  circulation  of  the  Pious  Frauds 
which  were  so  common  in  the  first  a<res  of  the  church. 
— In  schools,  and  in  families,  every  thing  which  has 
a  tendency,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  foster 
pride,  envy,  contention,  revenge,  and  other  malig¬ 
nant  affections,  should  be  firmly  and  sedulously  dis¬ 
couraged  and  counteracted  ;  and  higher  rewards  (if 


606 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


rewards  be  expedient)  should,  in  every  instance,  be 
bestowed  on  the  individual  who  displays  benevolent 
affections,  than  on  him  who  is  distinguished  merely 
for  intellectual  acquirements.  Hitherto,  a  more  de¬ 
cided  preference  seems  to  have  been  given  to  what  is 
termed  genius ,  than  to  moral  accomplishments. 

3.  Institutions  should  be  formed  for  communicat¬ 
ing  literary  and  scientific  knowledge,  blended  with 
moral  instructions,  to  persons  of  both  sexes,  and  of 
every  rank  and  age,  from  fifteen  years  and  upwards, 
particularly  to  apprentices,  journeymen,  clerks,  shop¬ 
keepers,  and  others,  for  the  purpose  of  calling  forth 
into  action  the  energies  of  their  minds,  and  for  pre¬ 
venting  the  growth  of  habits  of  dissipation.  In  such 
institutions,  the  manifestation  of  benevolent  affec¬ 
tions,  and  propriety  of  moral  conduct,  should  be 
made  the  conditions  of  enjoying  the  instructions  and 
privileges  of  the  association. 

4.  In  connection  with  these  and  other  means,  the 
cause  of  practical  morality  would  be  powerfully  pro¬ 
moted,  were  the  ministers  of  religion,  among  all 
parties,  to  direct  their  energies  to  the  discussion  of 
moral  subjects ,  on  Christian  principles ,  instead  of 
confining  their  attention  almost  exclusively  to  doc¬ 
trinal  discussions.  Religion  is  not  a  system  merely 
of  speculative  and  metaphysical  truths,  nor  does  it 
consist  in  the  contemplation  of  mysterious  facts,  or 
incomprehensible  dogmas  ;  but  is  a  rational  and  tan¬ 
gible  subject,  addressed  to  tbe  reason,  the  feelings, 
the  hopes  and  fears,  and  the  common  sense  of  man¬ 
kind  ;  and,  therefore,  its  illustrations  should  be 
chiefly  derived  from  the  facts  of  Sacred  History,  the 
system  of  nature,  and  from  the  existing  objects, 


MEANS  OF  PROMOTING  BENEVOLENCE.  607 

scenes  and  associations  with  which  we  are  connected. 
— A  much  greater  degree  of  animation  and  of  ener¬ 
gy,  than  is  now  displayed  in  instructions  from  the 
pulpit,  is  also  requisite  for  arresting  the  attention, 
and  rivetting  impressions  of  moral  and  religious 
truths  upon  the  mind.  If  fewer  sermons  were  deli¬ 
vered,  and  a  greater  portion  of  intellectual  energy 
concentrated  in  each  discourse  ;  and  if  preachers, 
particularly  among  dissenters,  had  fewer  discourses 
to  compose,  and  more  time  for  taking  an  ample  intel¬ 
lectual  range  through  the  system  of  Nature,  of  Pro¬ 
vidence,  and  of  Revelation,  a  more  powerful  effect 
would  undoubtedly  be  produced  on  the  Christian 
world,  and  upon  all  who  occasionally  attend  on  the 
ministrations  of  religion. 

I  need  scarcely  add,  that  all  such  means  ought  to 
be  accompanied  with  fervent  prayer  to  the  “  Father 
of  lights,”  and  dependence  on  the  promised  aid  of 
the  Spirit  of  holiness.  But,  without  the  application 
of  all  the  energetic  means  which  reason  and  revela¬ 
tion  suggest,  we  have  no  reason  to  conclude,  and  it 
would  be  presumption  to  expect,  that  the  influences 
of  heaven  will  descend  upon  the  moral  world.  For 
it  appears,  in  point  of  fact,  to  be  one  part  of  the  plan 
of  the  Divine  procedure,  that  human  agents  shall  be 
the  means  of  enlightening  each  other,  and  of  pro¬ 
moting  the  renovation  of  the  world,  as  workers  to¬ 
gether  with  God.” 


60S 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


CONCLUSIONS  FROM  THE  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES 
ILLUSTRATED  IN  THIS  VOLUME. 

If  the  general  train  of  sentiment  which  runs 
through  the  preceding  discussions  and  illustrations 
be  admitted,  the  following  conclusions  may  be  de¬ 
duced  respecting, 

I.  The  subject  of  preaching,  and  the  grand  aim 
which  the  ministers  of  religion,  in  their  discourses, 
ought  always  to  have  in  view.*  We  have  already 
seen,  that  it  is  the  great  object  of  revelation  to  bring 
into  practical  operation  the  principles  of  love  to  God 
and  man  :  and  it  is  obvious,  that  what  is  the  main 
object  of  Christianity  to  accomplish,  ought  to  be  the 
ultimate  aim  of  every  Christian  preacher.  It  is  not 
merely  to  convert  men  to  the  belief  of  certain  opin¬ 
ions ',  or  to  induce  them  to  embrace  the  peculiarities 
of  a  party.  It  is,  that  they  may  “  be  renewed  in 
the  spirit  of  their  minds,”  and  “  made  meet  for  the 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light,” — it  is,  that  they 
may  “  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  live 
soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  the  present  evil 
world  and  be  “  united  together  in  love ,  which  is 
the  bond  of  perfection.” — Metaphysical  disquisitions 
respecting  dogmas  in  religion,  have  very  little  ten¬ 
dency  to  ameliorate  the  heart,  and  to  promote  bene- 

*  The  Author  originally  intended  to  illustrate  this,  and  the 
following  conclusions,  at  considerable  length,  and  to  enter  into  a 
variety  of  circumstantial  details;  but,  as  the  intended  illustrations 
would  occupy  more  than  a  hundred  pages,  and  as  the  work  has 
already  swelled  to  a  considerable  size,  he  is  under  the  necessity 
of  postponing  them  for  the  present. 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


609 


volent  affections.  On  the  contrary,  they  have  fre¬ 
quently  produced  a  temper  of  mind  directly  opposite 
to  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  They  have  led  multi¬ 
tudes  to  pique  themselves  on  the  supposed  purity  of 
their  profession,  and  the  orthodoxy  of  their  creed, 
and  to  point  at  others  as  heretics,  and  subverters  of 
the  Gospel,  on  account  of  some  slight  differences  in 
sentiment  about  a  particular  doctrine  :  while  they 
themselves  have  never  attempted  to  cultivate  heavenly 
dispositions,  and  to  display  that  charity  which  “  suf- 
fereth  long  and  is  kind,  which  is  not  easily  provoked, 
and  thinketh  no  evil.”  There  are  certain  doctrines 
and  facts  which  we  ought  always  to  recognise  and 
to  keep  in  view,  as  fundamental  axioms  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  system; — such  as,  that  “  there  is  one  God,  and 
one  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ 
Jesus;”  that  “he  died  for  our  offences,  and  rose 
again  for  our  justification;”  that  “  all  have  sinned 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God;”  and  that  “  we 
are  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemp¬ 
tion  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.”  But  there  is  no  ne¬ 
cessity  for  expatiating  almost  exclusively  on  these 
and  similar  doctrines,  as  it  is  frequently  done,  to  the 
exclusion  of  practical  morality;  since  they  ought  to 
be  regarded  in  the  light  rather  of  first  principles  in 
religion,  than  as  topics  which  require  to  be  proved 
by  laboured  and  diffuse  arguments.  Yet  it  is  a  fact, 
that  such  doctrines,  which  are  only  the  means  of  re¬ 
ligion,  have  been  expatiated  upon  without  intermis¬ 
sion,  as  if  the  simple  belief  of  them  were  the  end  of 
religion  ;  while  the  great  moral  object  of  Christianity 
has  been  either  entirely  overlooked,  or  thrown  into 
the  shade.  What  should  we  think  of  the  instruc- 

c  c  3 


G10  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 

tor  of  youth,  who  confined  the  attention  of  his  pupil 
solely  to  the  characters  of  the  alphabet,  and  to  the 
pronunciation  of  a  few  elementary  sounds,  and  then 
dismissed  him  with  a  general  exhortation,  to  apply 
them  to  all  the  combinations  of  letters  and  syllables 
he  might  find  in  every  book  ?  Could  we  expect, 
that,  in  ordinary  cases,  such  a  pupil  would  either 
make  progress  in  the  art  of  reading,  or  use  it  as  the 
medium  of  acquiring  knowledge  ?  And  what  shall 
we  think  of  those  who  do  little  more  than  attempt 
to  explain  the  axioms  of  the  Christian  system,  but 
never  show  their  bearings  on  the  scenery  of  real  life, 
nor  endeavour  to  extend  our  views  of  the  providen¬ 
tial  operations  of  God,  and  the  glory  of  his  kingdom  ? 
If  Christianity  consisted  merely  in  abstract  disquisi¬ 
tions  and  metaphysical  dogmas,  such  a  practice  might 
be,  in  some  measure,  defensible :  but  since  it  is,  in 
every  sense  of  the  word,  a  practical  system,  it  is 
next  to  trifling  with  its  prominent  objects,  to  confine 
the  range  of  religious  discussions  within  so  narrow 
bounds  as  is  generally  done  by  many  of  those  who 
are  designated  by  the  term  evangelical ;  and  argues 
a  complete  forgetfulness  of  the  Apostle’s  exhortation, 
“  Therefore,  leaving  the  first  principles  of  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  to  perfection,”  tracing 
first  principles  through  all  their  diversified  bearings 
on  moral  action,  and  on  Christian  contemplation. 

One  of  the  great  objects  of  preaching  ought  un¬ 
doubtedly  to  be,  to  investigate  the  numerous  and 
minute  ramifications  of  human  conduct;  to  explore 
every  avenue  of  corruption ;  to  endeavour  to  draw 
forth  from  its  hiding-place  every  immoral  principle 
and  action,  which  exerts  its  pernicious  influence  in 


MORAL  PREACHING. 


611 


Christian  or  in  general  society ;  and,  with  all  the 
powers  of  graphical  description  we  can  command,  to 
portray  them  before  the  eyes  of  men,  in  all  their 
repulsive  features,  and  in  all  their  abominations. 
At  the  same  time,  we  ought  to  apply  the  touchstone 
of  the  divine  law  to  every  unchristian  propensity  and 
practice ;  to  exhibit  its  contrariety  to  the  spirit  of 
our  holy  religion ;  to  show  how  the  principle  of  love 
ought  to  operate  in  every  given  case  and  circum¬ 
stance,  and  in  the  minutest  actions  of  human  life  ; 
and  how  very  different  effects  would  be  produced, 
were  the  principles  laid  down  by  our  Saviour  and  his 
Apostles,  to  operate  with  full  effect  throughout  every 
department  of  the  moral  world.  Unless  such  objects 
be  generally  aimed  at,  and  steadily  kept  in  view,  in 
the  course  of  public  instruction,  religion  will  be  apt 
to  degenerate  into  a  mere  figment,  or,  at  most,  into 
a  subject  of  wrangling,  or  a  matter  of  curious  specu¬ 
lation. 

Let  no  class  of  religionists  presume  to  tell  us, 
that,  if  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  religion  be 
simply  declared,  Christian  morality  will  follow  as  a 
matter  of  course ;  and  that,  to  expatiate  on  any  par¬ 
ticular  branch  of  social  conduct,  is  to  degenerate  into 
legal  'preaching.  If  this  principle  were  to  be  ad¬ 
mitted,  then  all  the  expostulations  and  denunciations 
of  the  Prophets,  all  the  reproofs  and  exhortations  of 
the  Apostles,  all  the  moral  sermons  of  our  Saviour, 
and  all  the  minute  directions  in  reference  to  moral 
conduct,  detailed  in  every  epistle  to  the  Christian 
churches,  may  be  regarded  as  egregious  trifling.  If 
it  be  one  grand  design  of  Revelation  to  restore  man¬ 
kind  from  the  ruins  of  the  fall,  and  to  reinstate  them 


612 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


in  that  integrity  which  they  at  first  possessed  ; — if  it 
was  the  chief  design  of  “  the  law  and  the  prophets” 
to  bring  into  action,  on  the  theatre  of  the  world,  the 
two  fundamental  principles  of  the  moral  law,  as  the 
Lawgiver  himself  has  expressly  stated,  (Matt.  xxii. 
37 — 40.); — if  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel  devoted  a 
large  portion  of  his  inspired  strains  to  the  celebration 
of  the  divine  precepts,  (Psalm  cxix.  &c.); — if  most 
of  the  sermons  and  parables  of  our  Saviour  have  a 
direct  bearing  on  the  same  important  subject ; — if 
the  Apostle  Paul,  in  his  instructions  to  a  Christian 
minister,  enlarged  particularly  on  the  duties  which 
should  be  inculcated  on  the  various  ranks  and  rela¬ 
tions  of  men,  (Titus  ii.  iii.) ; — if  all  the  apostolic 
letters  to  the  Christian  churches  are  full  of  minute 
directions,  in  relation  to  every  branch  of  moral  duty  ; 
— if  heaven  be  the  scene  of  perfect  moral  rectitude, 
where  ardent  affection  towards  God,  and  towards 
fellow-intelligences,  ever  reigns — where  love,  peace, 
and  harmony  eternally  prevail ; — if  the  happiness 
of  that  world  depend  upon  the  absence  of  moral  evil, 
and  the  attainment  of  moral  perfection; — if  the  pre¬ 
sent  world  be  a  state  of  preparation  for  the  employ¬ 
ments  of  that  happier  region if  this  preparation 
consist  in  having  the  principles  of  love  to  God  and 
man  interwoven  through  the  whole  constitution  of 
the  mind,  and  brought  forth  into  action  in  the  di¬ 
versified  scenes  of  civil  and  religious  intercourse ; — 
if  such  important  effects  cannot  be  produced,  unless  by 
laying  open  the  latent  abominations  of  the  heart,  by 
impelling  the  moral  principles  of  the  Gospel  through 
all  the  avenues  and  windings  of  the  human  passions, 
and  by  illustrating,  with  minute  particularity,  every 


IMPORTANCE  OF  CHRISTIAN  MORALITY.  613 

subordinate  branch  of  Christian  duty ; — if  these 
positions  be  admitted,  it  will  follow,  that  the  duties 
oi  Christian  morality,  so  far  from  being  thrown  into 
an  obscure  corner,  ought  to  occupy  a  prominent  place 
in  the  ministrations  of  every  Christian  minister  who 
is  desirous  to  promote  the  renovation  of  the  world. 

In  short,  we  expect  no  grand  moral  reformation 
to  be  achieved — no  commencement  of  the  millennial 
era  of  the  church,  till  “  the  watchmen  upon  Mount 
Sion,”  with  more  energy  than  they  have  yet  dis¬ 
played,  “  shall  lift  up  their  voice  like  a  trumpet,  and 
show  to  the  house  of  Jacob  their  transgressions,” — 
till  they  lift  it  up  with  strength  and” not  be  afraid  ” 
of  any  suspicions  that  may  be  thrown  out  against 
their  orthodoxy,  when  they  show  unto  men  the  path 
of  duty  in  all  its  bearings  on  the  relations  of  time, 
and  on  the  employments  of  eternity — till  they  make 
the  moral  principles  of  Revelation  bear,  in  all  their 
force,  not  only  on  the  prominent  features  of  social 
life,  but  upon  every  minute  ramification  of  human 
conduct — till  every  lurking  principle  of  jealousy, 
envy,  avarice,  and  revenge,  be  made  to  feel  their 
energy — till  even  the  ver y  amusements  of  public  and 
domestic  life  be  made  to  bend  to  the  eternal  laws  of 
rectitude,  and  to  carry  on  their  fronts  that  noble  in¬ 
scription,  “  Holiness  to  the  Lord.” 

II.  If  the  preceding  train  of  sentiments  be  ad¬ 
mitted,  we  may  be  directed  in  our  views  of  the  na¬ 
ture  and  ends  of  church  discipline,  and  the  persons 
on  whom  it  ought  to  be  exercised. 

In  a  great  majority  of  Christian  churches,  cen¬ 
sures  are  inflicted  chiefly,  or  solely,  on  persons  guilty 
of  an  external  breach  of  one  or  two  precepts  of  the 


614 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


decalogue — only  one  or  two  species  of  violations  of 
the  moral  law  are  considered  as  worthy  of  cogni¬ 
zance;  while  the  systematic  operations  of  slander, 
revenge,  envy,  and  avarice — the  indications  of  harsh, 
sour,  and  ungovernable  tempers,  and  the  absence 
of  Christian  candour  and  affection — circumstances 
which  display  the  real  characters  of  men  far  more 
distinctly  than  any  insulated  acts  of  immorality  can 
do — are  either  wholly  overlooked,  or  considered  as 
characteristics  of  very  trivial  import.  The  censures 
to  which  I  allude,  are  likewise  accompanied,  in  many 
instances,  with  a  degree  of  magisterial  haughtiness, 
severity,  and  unchristian  feeling,  which  is  directly 
repugnant  to  every  amiable,  candid,  and  generous 
principle.  A  person  guilty,  in  a  single  instance,  of 
a  breach  of  the  seventh  or  eighth  commandments,  will 
lie  under  the  frown  of  a  religious  society  for  years, 
and  even  to  the  close  of  his  life,  notwithstanding 
every  evidence  he  can  give  of  the  sincerity  of  his 
repentance,  and  even  be  deprived  of  the  means  of 
earning  his  subsistence  ;  while  another  may  habitually 
violate  almost  all  the  other  precepts  of  the  decalogue, 
and  be  screened  from  the  discipline  of  the  church, 
He  may  be  avaricious,  cunning,  and  deceitful ;  harsh 
and  unfeeling  in  his  conduct ;  uncandid  and  unchari¬ 
table  in  his  dispositions  towards  others;  proud,  self¬ 
ish,  and  obstinate  in  his  temper  ;  addicted  to  slander 
and  to  incessant  litigations  ;  impatient  of  control ; 
and  boisterous  and  contentious  in  his  general  deport¬ 
ment- — and  yet  be  considered  as  no  proper  object  of 
censure ;  and,  though  never  manifesting  the  least 
symptom  of  penitence,  will  be  viewed  as  a  tolerably 
fair  character  in  religious  society,  especially  if  he  has 


CHURCH  CENSURES. 


615 


acquired  a  considerable  share  of  wealth  and  of  in¬ 
fluence  in  general  society. — Of  such  cases  and  prac¬ 
tices,  the  author  had  selected  a  number  of  striking 
examples,  which  the  narrow  limits  to  which  he  is 
confined  in  the  present  work,  constrain  him,  in  the 
meantime,  to  postpone. 

Now,  if  the  general  sentiments  already  thrown 
out  be  founded  on  truth,  and  on  the  nature  of  things, 
such  a  practice  as  that  to  which  we  allude,  must  be 
absurd,  unchristian,  and  inconsistent  with  the  pre¬ 
servation  of  the  moral  purity  of  religious  society. 
It  has  this  pernicious  tendency,  among  others,  that 
it  leads  multitudes  to  imagine,  that,  if  they  can  keep 
clear  of  two  or  three  acts  of  moral  delinquency,  they 
may  trample  on  every  divine  principle  and  law  with 
impunity.  A  poor  wretch,  under  the  pressure  of 
poverty,  steals  a  hen  or  a  pocket  handkerchief,  and, 
notwithstanding  his  subsequent  repentance,  is  ban¬ 
ished  from  social  intercourse,  and  held  up  to  execra¬ 
tion  ;  while  a  sanctimonious  hypocrite  will  swindle 
his  neighbour  out  of  a  thousand  pounds,  if  no  penal 
law  can  take  hold  of  him,  and  will  retain  his  station 
in  the  church,  and  hold  up  his  face  without  a  blush 
in  the  presence  of  general  society.  It  is  obvious,  if 
there  be  any  truth  in  what  we  have  hitherto  stated, 
that  the  general  tenor  of  the  conduct,  and  the  uni¬ 
form  manifestation  of  benevolent  affections,  ought, 
in  every  case,  to  form  the  grand  criterion  of  a  man’s 
being  entitled  to  the  character  of  a  Christian;  and, 
that  dispositions  of  an  opposite  nature  habitually  dis¬ 
played,  however  much  overlooked  in  the  general  in¬ 
tercourse  of  life,  ought  to  form  a  ground  of  exclusion 
from  the  society  of  the  faithful. 


616 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


III.  This  subject  has  a  particular  bearing  upon 
the  divisions  which  subsist  in  the  religious  world, 
and  the  grand  principles  which  ought  to  form  a  bond 
of  union  among  all  who  acknowledge  the  truth  of 
the  Christian  Revelation. — If  the  train  of  thought 
illustrated  in  the  preceding  pages  be  correct,  it  will 
follow,  that  a  cordial  union  of  the  various  sections  of 
the  Christian  church  is  to  be  expected  from  the  cul¬ 
tivation  of  the  Spirit  of  Love,  more  than  from  any 
attempt  to  produce  an  exact  coincidence  of  opinion 
on  those  theological  points  in  which  they  now  differ. 
Wherever  this  spirit  is  found  expanding  the  soul, 
and  governingthe  affections,  it  will  lead  its  possessors 
to  view  the  peculiar  opinions  of  others  with  candour; 
to  respect  their  persons  ;  to  allow  them  liberty  of 
thought  on  all  the  subordinate  ramifications  of  theo¬ 
logical  sentiment ;  and  to  set  a  higher  value  on  moral 
qualifications,  and  the  manifestation  of  benevolent 
affections,  than  on  those  circumstantial  opinions  which 
do  not  enter  into  the  essence  of  the  Christian  scheme. 
If  the  professing  Christian  world  were  thoroughly 
investigated,  it  would  be  found,  that  it  is  owing  more 
to  the  absence  of  this  spirit,  that  Christians  stand  so 
much  aloof  from  each  other,  than  to  the  speculative 
opinions  which  they  respectively  maintain.  The 
prevalent  disposition  for  sneering  at  other  denomina¬ 
tions,  and  the  pleasure  that  seems  to  be  felt  in  laying 
open  their  sores,  will  generally  be  found  to  proceed 
from  a  principle  of  pride,  and  of  self  conceit  in  re¬ 
gard  to  our  own  favourite  opinions,  some  of  which, 
when  probed  to  the  bottom,  will  be  found  as  rotten 
as  our  neighbour’s.  Why  are  men  not  as  much  dis¬ 
posed  to  pass  encomiums  on  what  is  sound  in  the 


CHRISTIAN  UNION. 


617 


opinions,  and  laudable  in  the  conduct,  of  other  parties, 
as  they  are  to  censure  them  for  minor  peculiarities 
of  sentiment  ?  Why  ?  Because  it  appears,  that 
many  professed  Christians  take  more  delight  in  the 
exercise  of  malevolent  feelings  than  in  cultivating 
benevolent  affections  ;  and  are  like  flies,  that  pass 
over  the  sound  parts  of  a  man’s  body,  and  fix  upon 
his  sores.  Till  such  unchristian  dispositions  be  un¬ 
dermined,  and  tempers  of  an  opposite  description 
pervade  the  ranks  of  Christian  society,  we  can  expect 
no  cordial  nor  lasting  union  in  the  visible  church, 
however  many  ingenious  schemes  may  be  formed  to 
bring  about  this  desirable  event.  For,  every  effect 
must  have  an  adequate  cause :  this  cause  will  be 
found  to  consist  more  in  affection  than  in  opinion; 
and  a  union  formed  on  an  apparent  coincidence  of 
sentiment,  unmingled  with  ardent  love  and  affection, 
would  be  unworthy  of  the  name,  and  would  soon  be 
dissolved. 

It  can  form  no  decisive  mark  of  a  man’s  Chris¬ 
tianity,  that  he  recognises  the  peculiar  opinions  of 
Baptists  or  Peedo- Baptists,  of  Presbyterians,  Epis¬ 
copalians,  or  Independents  ;  it  is  a  matter  compara¬ 
tively  of  little  importance,  whether  a  man  believes 
that  Christ  was  an  actual  or  a  virtual  Mediator  under 
the  Old  Testament;  whether  he  be  designated  the 
Son  of  God  in  virtue  of  his  office,  or  of  his  nature  ; 
whether  or  not  we  be  guilty  of  Adam’s  first  sin  ; 
whether  the  transaction  which  passed  between  him 
and  his  Creator,  should  be  viewed  as  a  law,  or  as  a 
covenant ;  whether  the  ordinance  of  baptism  should 
be  administered  by  dipping,  or  by  sprinkling,  &c.  &c. 
— But  it  is  unquestionably  a  matter  of  the  highest 


618 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


moment,  both  to  the  person  himself,  and  to  Christian 
society,  that  his  temper  and  conduct  should  be  in 
unison  with  the  holy  law  of  God,  and  that  he  should 
display  the  love  which  it  requires,  in  all  his  social, 
commercial,  domestic,  and  Christian  intercourses; — 
and  if  such  dispositions  and  conduct  were  universally 
to  prevail  among  the  various  denominations  of  the 
Religious  world,  union  would  soon  follow  as  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  course.  If,  therefore,  we  wish  to  behold  the 
unhappy  divisions  of  the  church  cemented,  let  us 
cultivate  those  amiable  and  affectionate  dispositions 
which  our  Benevolent  Religion  inculcates,  and  be 
more  anxious  to  correct  our  own  mental  and  moral 
aberrations,  than  to  magnify  the  errors  and  the  faults 
of  others.  Let  us  make  every  allowance  for  the 
effects  which  education,  habit,  local  circumstances, 
and  particular  associations,  may  have  produced  on 
the  opinions  of  our  supposed  erring  brethren ;  and 
let  us  consider,  that  we  ourselves,  had  we  been  placed 
in  the  same  circumstances,  might  have  imbibed  the 
same  sentiments.  Let  us  endeavour  to  acquire  clear 
and  well-defined  ideas  on  every  subject  connected 
with  religion ;  that  we  may  not  contend  about  trifles, 
about  mere  abstract  ideas,  or  the  application  of  par¬ 
ticular  terms  or  phrases.  Let  us  keep  our  eyes  fixed 
on  the  great  and  prominent  objects  of  Revelation, 
and  on  all  the  subordinate  active  means  by  which 
they  may  be  promoted.  Let  us  consider  religion  as 
consisting  more  in  action  than  in  speculation.  Let 
our  love  to  Christian  brethren  be  founded,  not  so 
much  on  a  general  coincidence  of  opinion,  as  on  the 
resemblance  they  bear  to  the  Divine  image:  and 
then  we  may  confidently  expect,  that  that  period  will 


FUTURE  STATE  OF  HAPPINESS. 


619 


soon  approach,  when  the  saints  of  God  “shall  see 
eye  to  eye,”  in  reference  to  all  the  grand  bearings  of 
the  Gospel  scheme,  and  when  the  name  of  Jehovah 
shall  be  one  throughout  all  the  earth. 

IV.  We  may  learn,  from  the  subject  we  have 
been  illustrating,  what  notions  we  ought  to  form  of 
the  nature  of  a  future  state  of  happiness ,  and  of 
the  preparation  requisite  for  enabling  us  to  engage 
in  its  employments.  The  felicity  of  the  future  world 
will  not  consist  simply  in  a  change  of  place  ;  nor  will 
it  consist  chiefly  in  a  change  of  sentiment  or  opinion. 
Its  foundation  must  be  laid  in  the  principle  of  love, 
and  in  the  complete  renovation  of  the  moral  powers, 
without  which,  no  celestial  scene  could  produce  per¬ 
manent  enjoyment.  Although  all  the  theologians 
who  now  exist  were  united  in  opinion  about  every 
article  of  the  system  of  Divinity;  and  although  they 
were  transported  to  the  most  splendid  world  that  re¬ 
volves  around  the  star  Arcturus  ;  after  the  first  trans¬ 
ports,  arising  from  the  novelty  and  grandeur  of  the 
scene,  had  subsided,  they  would  enjoy  little  more 
happiness  in  that  orb,  than  they  do  in  this  terrestrial 
sphere,  unless  they  were  actuated  with  moral  dispo¬ 
sitions  and  affections  very  different  from  those  which 
many  of  them  now  display.  For  not  only  rancour 
and  malice,  but  even  coldness  and  indifference  to  the 
welfare  of  others,  would  prevent  happiness  from  be¬ 
ing  enjoyed  in  any  region  of  the  material  universe. 
All  who  believe  in  the  reality  of  a  future  world,  in¬ 
dulge  in  anxious  wishes  to  be  made  happy  when  they 
pass  from  this  mortal  scene  to  the  world  of  spirits. 
Even  wicked  men,  whose  consciences  frequently  fore¬ 
bode  evil  to  them  in  the  other  world,  indulge  the 


620 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


hope  that  God  will  ultimately  be  merciful  to  them, 
and  admit  them  to  the  joys  of  heaven.  But  this  is 
impossible,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  unless  they 
be  “  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds,”  and  en¬ 
dowed  with  those  holy  dispositions  which  alone  can 
qualify  them  for  relishing  substantial  happiness,  and 
for  participating  in  “  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light.”  How  could  Malignity  associate  with  Bene¬ 
volence,  Contention  with  Friendship,  or  War  with 
Peace  ?  Flow  could  the  sons  of  discord  dwell  in 
unity,  in  an  assembly  where  all  is  harmony  and  love  ? 
How  could  the  malicious  and  revengeful  spirit  find 
delight  in  the  employments  of  kindness  and  pure 
benignity?  How  could  the  man,  who  now  finds  his 
chief  pleasure  in  hounding  and  horse-racing,  in 
brawling  and  fighting,  have  any  relish  for  the  sublime 
adorations,  the  enraptured  praises,  and  the  refined 
contemplations  of  the  celestial  inhabitants  ?  The 
thing  is  impossible,  unless  the  moral  order  of  all 
worlds  were  completely  subverted.  Such  characters 
will  be  banished  from  the  abodes  of  bliss ;  not  by  any 
arbitrary  decree  of  the  Almighty,  but  in  virtue  of  the 
moral  constitution  of  the  intelligent  universe. 

It  is  therefore  evident,  that  the  happiness  of 
heaven  must  be  founded  upon  the  exercise  of  love, 
affection,  harmony,  perfect  good-will  to  fellow-intel¬ 
ligences,  and  the  infinite  variety  of  ramifications  into 
which  such  principles  may  diverge ;  combined  with 
enlightened  views  and  holy  affections,  in  relation  to 
the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
When  these  and  similar  dispositions  are  uniformly 
exercised,  without  the  least  mixture  of  any  ingredient 
of  moral  evil,  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  with  what  trans- 


FUTURE  STATE  OF  HAPPINESS.  G21 

ports  of  delight  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  will  con¬ 
template  the  displays  of  the  Power,  Wisdom,  and 
Goodness  of  the  Deity,  and  investigate  the  history 
of  his  dispensations  in  the  moral  government  of  our 
world,  and  in  the  arrangements  of  all  the  other  worlds 
whose  physical  and  moral  economy  may  be  laid  open 
to  their  view.* 

Such  views  are  in  perfect  accordance  with  the 
representations  of  Scripture: — “  Without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.”  “  The  pure  in  heart 
(and  they  alone)  shall  see  God.”  “  Nothing  that 
worketh  abomination,  can  enter  within  the  gates  of 
the  heavenly  city.”  “  As  we  have  borne  the  image 
of  the  earthly,  (says  the  Apostle,)  so  shall  we  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly.”  “  Christ  Jesus  gave 
himself  for  the  church,  that  he  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it,  and  that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a 
glorious  church,  holy,  and  without  blemish.”  The 
crown  of  glory,  reserved  in  heaven  for  the  faithful, 
is  designated  “  a  crown  of  righteousness.”  “  The 
spirits  of  just  men,”  in  the  future  world,  “are  made 
perfect,”  freed  from  every  taint  of  moral  pollution, 
and  unrestrained  in  the  exercise  of  their  moral  powers. 
The  inheritance  to  which  they  are  destined,  is  “  un- 
defiled”  with  the  least  stain  of  corruption,  or  with  the 
example  of  impure  and  malignant  spirits.”  “  When 


*  The  reader  will  find  a  full  illustration  of  this  and  other  kin¬ 
dred  topics,  in  a  work  lately  published,  entitled,  “  The  Philoso¬ 
phy  of  a  Future  State which  comprises — proofs  of  a  future  state 
from  the  light  of  Nature  and  of  Revelation — discussions  on  the 
connection  of  science  with  a  future  world — on  the  aids  which  its 
discoveries  afford  for  enabling  us  to  form  a  conception  of  the  per¬ 
petual  improvement  of  the  celestial  inhabitants  in  knowledge  and 
felicity — and  on  the  moral  qualifications  requisite  to  the  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  celestial  bliss. 


622 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like 
him;”  transformed  into  his  moral  image,  and  ani¬ 
mated  with  those  Divine  principles  and  virtues, 
which  he  displayed  in  his  conduct  when  he  taber¬ 
nacled  amon£  men.  The  saints  “  shall  walk  with 
him  in  white,”  an  emblem  of  their  perfect  moral 
purity;”  “  they  shall  receive  an  inheritance  among 
them  that  are  sanctified;”  and  “there  shall  be  no 
more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying;  for  the 
former  things  shall  have  passed  away.” 

V.  From  the  preceding  illustrations  we  may  learn 
something  of  the  nature  and  essence  of  future  punish¬ 
ment.  If  th  e  exercise  of  love,  in  all  its  diversified 
modifications,  constitutes  the  foundation  and  the 
essence  of  happiness,  the  unrestrained  operations  of 
malevolence  must  be  the  source  and  the  sum  of  mis¬ 
ery.  We  cannot  form  a  more  dreadful  picture  of 
future  punishment,  than  by  conceiving  the  principles 
of  falsehood,  deceit,  and  malignity,  and  the  passions 
of  pride,  hatred,  malice,  and  revenge,  raging  with 
uncontrolled  and  perpetual  violence.  We  need  re¬ 
present  to  ourselves  nothing  more  horrible  in  the 
place  of  punishment,  than  by  supposing  the  Al- 
mighty  simply  to  permit  wicked  men  to  give  full 
scope  to  their  malevolent  dispositions;  leaving  them 
“  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  ways,  and  to  be 
filled  with  their  own  devices.”  The  effects  produced 
by  the  uncontrolled  operation  of  such  principles  and 
passions  would  be  such,  as  may  be  fitly  represented 
by  the  emblems  of  “  the  worm  that  never  dies,”  of 
“  devouring  fire,”  and  of  their  necessary  concomi¬ 
tants,  “weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.” 
(See  Chap.  II.  Sect.  iv.  pp.  168 — 180.)  What 


FUTURE  STATE  OF  MISERY. 


623 


circumstances,  from  the  recollections  of  the  past,  or 
the  anticipation  of  the  future,  may  be  mingled  with 
the  cup  of  future  woe,  it  becomes  not  us  particularly 
to  determine.  And  whether  this  scene  of  misery 
will  ever  come  to  a  termination,  must  be  determined 
by  the  consideration,  whether  the  effects  produced  by 
such  a  punishment  will  have  a  tendency  to  produce 
repentance  and  reformation  on  the  minds  of  the  suf¬ 
ferers.  If,  after  a  lapse  of  ages,  the  principles  of 
hatred  to  God,  and  to  surrounding  intelligences, 
continue  to  operate  with  increasing  violence,  without 
producing  the  least  desire  of  returning  to  their  alle¬ 
giance  to  God,  or  the  least  symptom  of  reformation, 
— then,  we  may  conclude,  that  the  misery  of  wicked 
intelligences  will  be  commensurate  with  their  exis¬ 
tence. 


FINIS. 


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/§!  contains  100  Original  Hymns,  by  Mr.  Montgomery. 

%  26  OWEN  on  INDWELLING  SIN.  Essay  by  Thomas 
0  Chalmers,  D.D.  3s.  6d. 

§  27  MEAD’S  ALMOST  CHRISTIAN.  Essay  by  David 
jfj  Young,  D.D.  3s. 

%  28  BAXTER’S  CALL  to  the  UNCONVERTED— NOW 
T*  or  NEVER,  &c.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 

29  Wi  LB  ERFO  ROE’S  practical  view  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  Essay  by  Daniel  Wilson,  D.D.,  Bishop 


of  Calcutta.  5s. 

30  LAW’S  SERIOUS  CALL. 
D.D.  5s.  6c?. 


Essay  by  David  Young, 
WALK. 


31  SOU  ODER’S  CHRISTIAN’S  DAILY 
Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  4s.  6c?. 

32  CHRISTIAN  POET;  or,  Selections  in  Verse,  on 
Sacred  Subjects.  Essay  by  James  Montgomery.  6s. 

J>  33  PASCAL’S  THOUGHTS.  A  New  Translation.  Essay 
by  Isaac  Tavlor,  Esq.  5s. 

34  SCOTT’S  TRACTS.  Essay  by  T. Chalmers,  D.D.  6s. 


Select  Christian  Authors  continued. 

35  CHRISTIAN’S  COMPANION  in  SOLITUDE:  con- 
sisting  of  Baxter’s  Walking  with  God  the  Christian’s  duty 
and  Privilege — Baxter’s  Converse  with  God  in  Solitude — 
Corbet’s  Self-Employment  in  Secret — and  Divine  Breath¬ 
ings  of  a  Pious  Soul.  Essay  by  David  Young,  D.D.  4s.tir/. 

36  BUNYAN’S  PILGRIM’s  PROGRESS;  with  the  lie v. 
Thomas  Scott’s  NOTES.  Essay  by  J.  Montgomery.  6s. 

37  BEVERIDGE’S  PRIVATE  THOUGHTS.  Essay 
by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  5s.  6d. 

38  SHAW’S  EMMANUEL,  or,  True  Religion,  as  it 
Imports  a  Living  Principle  in  the  Minds  of  Men.  Essay  by 
Robert  Gordon,  D.D.  3s.  6d. 

39  BOOTH’S  REIGN  of  GRACE.  Essay  by  Thomas 
Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 

40  JUDGE  HALE  on  the  KNOWLEDGE  of  CHRIST 
CRUCIFIED,  and  other  Divine  Contemplations.  Essay 
by  David  Y’oung,  D.D.  5s. 

41  MEMOIRS  Of  MRS.  HUNTINGTON,  of  Boston, 
America.  Essay  by  James  Montgomery.  5s. 

42  BAXTER’S  REFORMED  PASTOR.  Essay  by  Daniel 
Wilson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Calcutta.  4s. 

43  SHOWER’S  REFLECTIONS  and  HALE’S  CON¬ 
TEMPLATIONS.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 

44  DODDRIDGE  on  REGENERATION.  Essay  by 
Ralph  Wardlaw,  D.D.  4s. 

45  BAXTER  on  the  MISCHIEFS  of  SELF-IGNORANCE 
and  the  BENEFITS  of  SELF-ACQUAINTANCE.  Essay  <§J 
by  David  Young,  D.D.  4s. 

46  OLNEY  HYMNS.  Essay  by  J.  Montgomery.  4s.  6J. 

47  CHRISTIAN’S  DEFENCE  against  INFIDELITY: 
Consisting  of,  1.  Leslie  on  Deism. — 2.  Lyttelton’s  Observa¬ 
tions  on  St.  Paul. — 3.  Doddridge’s  Evidences  of  Christianity. 

— 4.  Bates  on  the  Divinity  of  the  Christian  Religion — 5. 
Owen  on  the  Self-Evidencing  Light  and  Power  of  the  Scrip-  ||> 
tures. — 6.  Baxter  on  the  Folly  and  Danger  of  Making  Light  Ml 
of  Christ.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  5 s.6d. 

48  EDWARDS’  NARRATIVE  of  the  REVIVAL  of  <g 
RELIGION  in  NEW  ENGLAND;  with  THOUGHTS 
on  that  REVIVAL.  Essay  by  John  Pye  Smith,  D.D.  5s.6d. 


WORKS 

PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW  "'••.'*•*.*; 

Select  Christian  Authors  continued. 

49  BATES  on  the  HARMONY  of  the  DIVINE  ATTRI¬ 
BUTES  in  MAN’S  REDEMPTION. 

50  HOWE’S  LIVING  TEMPLE:  or,  A  Good  Man  the 
Temple  of  God.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  3s.6c?. 

51  DICKINSON’S  RELIGIOUS  LETTERS.  Essay  by 
David  Young,  D.D.  5s. 

52  EDWARDS’  LIFE  of  DAVID  BRAINERD.  Essay 
by  James  Montgomery.  6s. 

53  VENN’S  DUTY  of  MAN.  Essay  by  John  Brown,  D.D. 
6s.  6d. 

54  RO  MAINE’S  SELECT  LETTERS.  Essay  by  Thomas 
Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 

55  HALYBURTON  on  NATURAL  and  REVEALED 
RELIGION.  Essay  by  David  Young,  D.D.  6s. 

56  BOSTON’S  FOURFOLD  STATE.  Essay  by  David 
Young,  D.D.  6s. 

57  QUESNEL  on  the  GOSPELS.  Essay  by  Daniel 
Wilson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Calcutta.  In  Three  Vols.  ISs. 

58  CLARKE’S  SCRIPTURE  PROMISES.  Essay  by 
Ralph  Wardlaw,  D.D.  3s. 

59  SCOUGAL’3  WORKS.  Essay  by  the  Rev.  Richard 
Watson.  4s.  6d. 

60  FLAVEL’S  SAINT  INDEED,  and  TOUCHSTONE 
of  SINCERITY.  Essay  by  David  Young,  D.D.  4s. 

61  HALL  on  the  FAITH  and  INFLUENCE  of  the  GOS¬ 
PEL.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  5s. 

62  LECTURES  on  REVIVALS  of  RELIGION.  By 
W.  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  Essay  by  George  Redford, 
D.D.,  Worcester;  and  the  Rev.  J.  A.  James,  Birmingham. 
5s.  6d. 

63  MEMOIRS  of  MRS.  SARAH  LOUISA  TAYLOR, 

New- York.  Essay  by  Nathaniel  Paterson,  D.  D., 

Author  of  “  The  Manse  Garden.”  3s.  6d. 

64  ROBE’S  NARRATIVE  of  the  REVIVAL  of  RELI¬ 
GION  in  KILSYTH,  CAMBUSLANG,  etc.,  in  1742. 
Essay  by  the  Rev.  Robert  Buchanan.  3s.  6d. 


Series  to  be  continued. 


^0  PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW 


SELECT  CHRISTIAN  AUTHORS. 

Royal  2-hno  Editions,  Cloth  Lettered. 

A  number  of  the  more  popular  and  practical  Works  in  this  Series  of  the 
Select  Christian  Authors  have  been  published  in  Royal  24m  o.  They  are 
entire  reprints  of  the  larger  Editions,  on  a  smaller  type;  and  they  form 
Neat  and  Cheap  pocket  editions  of  a  select  number  of  the  Works.  Of 
these  the  following  have  been  published 

1  A  Kempis’  Imitation  of  Chkist.  Essay  by  Thomas 
Chalmers,  D.D.  2s.  6d. 

4  Romaine's  Treatises  on  the  Life,  Walk,  and  Triumph 
of  Faith.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 

6  Alleine’s  Alarm  to  Unconverted  Sinners.  Essay  by' 

Andrew  Thomson,  D.D.  2s. 6d. 

7  Adam’s  Private  Thoughts  on  Religion.  Essay  by 

Daniel  Wilson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Calcutta.  2s. 

9  Sekle’s  Christian  Remembrancer.  Essay  by  Thomas 
Chalmers,  D.D.  2s.6d. 

10  Baxter’s  Saint’s  Rest.  Essay  by  T.  Erskine,  Esq.  3s.6d. 
12  The  Mourner’s  Companion.  Essay  by  Dr.  Gordon.  2s.6d. 

14  Cowper’s  Poems.  Essay  by  James  Montgomery,  Esq.  4s. 

15  Doddridge’s  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the 

Soul.  Essay  by  John  Foster.  3s.  6d. 

16  Guthrie’s  Christian’s  Great  Interest.  Essay  by 

Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  2s. 

21  Owen  on  Spiritual  Mindedness.  Essay  by  Thomas 

Chalmers,  D.D.  3s. 

22  Henry’s  Communicant’s  Companion.  Essay  by  John 

Brown,  D.D.  2s.  6d. 

25  The  Christian  Psalmist  :  or,  Hymns,  Selected  and 

Original.  Essay  by  James  Montgomery,  Esq.  3s.  6d. 

26  Owen  on  Indwelling  Sin.  Essay  by  Dr.  Chalmers.  2s.6d. 
29  Wilberforce’s  Practical  View  of  Christianity.  Essay 

by  Daniel  Wilson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Calcutta.  3s. 

32  The  Christian  Poet.  Essay  by  J.  Montgomer  ,  Esq.  4s. 
34  Scott’s  Tracts.  Essay  by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  4s. 
39  Booth’s  Reign  of  Grace.  Essay  by  Dr.  Chalmers.  2s.  6d, 

41  Memoirs  of  Mrs.  Huntington,  of  Boston,  America.  Essay 

by  James  Montgomery,  Esq.  3s.  6d. 

42  Baxter’s  Reformed  Pastor.  Essay  by  Daniel  Wilson, 

Bishop  of  Calcutta.  2s.  6d. 

44  Doddridge  on  Regeneration.  Essay  by  Ralph  Ward- 
law,  D.D.  2s.  6d. 

46  Olney  Hymns.  Essay  by  James  Montgomery,  Esq.  2s.6d. 

47  The  Christian’s  Defence  against  Infidelity.  Essay 

by  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D.  3s.  6d. 

54  Romaine’s  Letters.  Essay  by  T.  Chalmers,  D.D.  2s.6d. 
58  Clark's  Scripture  Promises.  Essay  by  Dr.Wakdlaw.3s. 
60  Flavel’s  Saint  Indeed,  and  Touchstone  of  Sincerity. 
Essay  by  David  Young,  D.D.  2s.  6d. 


WORKS 


PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW 

©ZSorfcS  of  CfcomaS  ©tcfe,  3131.53. 

I. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER:  Or,  The  Connec¬ 
tion  of  Science  and  Philosophy  with  Religion. 
Illustrated  with  Engravings.  Seventh  Edition.  12mo  Cloth 
Lettered,  8s. 

“  This  is  a  Publication  which  we  can  most  earnestly  recommend  to  every 
Christian  parent  to  put  into  the  hands  of  his  children,  as  a  most  judicious  ini¬ 
tiatory  Work  into  the  mysteries  of  Science,  viewed  in  connection  with  Religion.” 
•—‘‘We  are  pleased  with  the  conviction,  that  Dr.  Dick,  in  the  Volume  before 
us,  has  conferred  a  benefit  on  mankind.  To  the  rising  generation  it  will  prove 
essentially  advantageous,  by  compressing  a  fund  of  information  within  a  narrow 
compass  ;  and  multitudes  who  have  reached  the  years  of  maturity,  by  perusing 
this  Work,  will  have  an  opportunity  of  augmenting  their  store  of  knowledge.” 

“  This  Work  forms  a  most  excellent  and  appropriate  present  for  young  per¬ 
sons;  and  perhaps  there  are  few  books  more  frequently  presented  in  tins  manner 
than  ‘  The  Christian  Philosopher,’  and  ‘  The  Philosophy  of  Religion.’” 

II. 

THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION:  Or,  An  Illus¬ 
tration  of  the  Moral  Laws  of  the  Universe. 
Third  Edition.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  8s. 

“  This  Work  is  divided  into  four  chapters :  The  first  treats  on  the  moral 
relations  of  intelligent  beings  to  their  Creator;  the  second  discusses  a  principle 
of  moral  action — love  to  all  subordinate  intelligencies ;  the  third  is  devoted  to 
an  examination  of  the  moral  law,  and  the  rational  grounds  on  which  i<:s  precepts 
are  founded  ;  and  the  fourth  contains  a  survey  of  the  moral  state  of  the  world. 
This  book  is  intended  to  show  how  happy  a  world  this  would  be,  did  all  its 
inhabitants  imbibe  the  principles  of  Christianity,  and  live  habitually  under  its 
influence.” 


III. 

A 


Third 


nnHE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 

Edition.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  6s. 

“  We  have  seldom  risen  up  from  the  perusal  of  any  human  composition  with 
loftier  conceptions  of  the  Divinity,  than  we  have  been  insensibly  led  to  cherish 
in  the  reading  of  this  highly  philosophical  and  Christian  publication.  The  last 
part  of  the  volume  contains  many  close  appeals  to  the  heart,  upon  that  state  of 
moral  and  spiritual  accomplishment  which  all  must  seek  who  anticipate  the 
glory  and  felicity  of  heaven.” 

IV. 

I'IHE  IMPROVEMENT  OF  SOCIETY  BY  THE  DIF- 
-  FUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  Illustrated  with  En¬ 
gravings.  Second  Edition.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  7s.  6d. 

“  There  are  many  things  here  more  entertaining  by  far  than  any  thing  to  be 
found  in  the  pages  of  fancy  or  fiction.  This  entertainment  and.iustruction  will 
te  found  in  Dr.  Dick's  very  delightful  communications  regarding  the  wonder 
end  beauties  of  creation,  both  animate  and  inanimate.” 

V. 

ON  THE  MENTAL  ILLUMINATION  AND  MORAL 
IMPROVEMENT  OF  MANKIND.  Illustrated  with 
numerous  Engravings.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  8s. 

“  We  have  always  regarded  Dr.  Dick  as  an  eminently  industrious  and  useful 
writer.  The  whole  subject  of  education,  considered  with  a  view  to  man’s  in¬ 
tellectual  and  moral  nature,  is  here  treated,  and  treated  with  the  hand  of  a 
master.  The  errors  and  defects  of  existing  systems  are  faithfully  pointed  out; 
the  plans  adopted  in  various  countries  described  ;  and  a  new  and  better  method 
is  laid  down,  applicable  to  all  the  several  kinds  of  schools,  and  embraces  an  ex¬ 
cellent  outline  of  religious  and  moral  instruction.  The  entire  volume  is  full  of 
interesting  detai.s,  and  is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  all  who  look  with  anxiety 
upon  our  national  prospects.” 


WORKS 

PUBLISHEDBY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW 


(SlaScjoto  iUrturaS  on  Important  J^ubjcfts. 
EVIDENCES. 

FOURTEEN  LECTURES  ON  THE  EVIDENCES  OF 
x  REVEALED  RELIGION.  By  Ministers  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland.  Ninth  Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  3s.  6d. 

“  The  Volume  contains  nearly  600  pages,  and  will  be  found  one  of  the 
most  cheap,  useful,  and  powerful  compendiums  of  almost  every  kind  of 
evidence  on  the  credibility  of  the  Divine  Re\  elations  which  we  have  seen.” 

“  Rich  in  material  and  forcible  in  style,  they  reflect  credit  on  the  indi¬ 
viduals  by  whom  they  were  delivered,  displaying  as  they  do  solid  learning, 
judicious  treatment,  and  copious  information.  We  believe  that  no  single 
volume,  professing  to  take  up  the  same  topics,  w  ill  be  found  to  handle 
them  in  so  clear  and  comprehensive  a  manner,  and  withal  with  such  bre¬ 
vity  and  force.  And  when  we  say  that  it  contains  twice  as  much  matter 
as  books  sold  at  the  same  price,  we  do  not  by  any  means  overstep  the  strict 
limits  of  the  truth.” 

YOUNG  MEN. 

'C'LEVEN  LECTURES  TO  YOUNG  MEN.  By  Muri- 
sters  of  Various  Evangelical  Denominations.  Fourth 
Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 

“We  hail  with  great  satisfaction  the  appearance  of  this  volume.  A 
better  work,  saving  always  the  Bible,  for  putting  into  the  hands  of  young 
persons,  does  not  exist.” — Witness. 

“  It  would  be  invidious  to  particularise  where  all  are  so  admirable ; 
but  we  may  be  forgiven  for  mentioning  those  of  Mr.  Lee  of  Campsie  (on  the 
cultivation  of  the  mind),  Dr.  Symington  (on  the  amusements  of  youth),  and 
Dr.  Wardlaw  (on  the  formation  of  cliaracter),  as  productions  of  the  highest 
excellence,  and  altogether  worthy  of  the  literary  and  theological  attain¬ 
ments  of  their  authors.” — Scottish  Guardian. 

THE  JEWS. 

TWELVE  LECTURES  ON  THE  PAST  HISTORY, 
x  PRESENT  CONDITION,  AND  FUTURE  PROS¬ 
PECTS  OF  THE  JEWS.  By  Ministers  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland.  Second  Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  4s.  6d. 

“  Christiaus  need  to  be  informed  respecting  the  Jews, — and  they  need  to 
be  stirred  up  to  pray  and  exert  themselves  for  their  conversion.  A  better 
book  for  enlarging  their  understanding,  and  operating  upon  their  hearts, 
they  cannot  procure  than  the  present.” — Orthodox  Presbyterian. 

REVIVALS. 

T70URTEEN  LECTURES  ON  THE  REVIVAL  OF 
RELIGION.  By  Ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scot¬ 
land.  Second  Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  4s. 

“  The  Glasgow  Lectures,  with  an  able  preface  by  Mr.  Hetlierington,  em¬ 
brace  the  subject  in  all  its  richness,  and  concentrate  upon  it  a  weight  of 
talent,  spiritual  wisdom,  and  sound  sense  very  rarely  to  be  met  with  in 
any  one  volume,  and  entitling  this  one  to  the  name  of  a  standard  volume.” 
_ Christian  Instructor. 

The  Lectures  are  bv  the  Rev.  John  Bonar,  Larbert :  Rev.  Jonathan  R. 
Anderson,  Glasgow  ;  Itcv.  A.  Moody  Stuart,  Edinburgh  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Willis, 
Glasgow ;  Rev.  R.  S.  Candlish,  Edinburgh ;  Rev.  Alexander  Gumming, 
Dunbarney  ;  Rev.  William  Arnot,  Rev.  John  G.  Lorimer,  Rev.  James 
Munro,  Glasgow  ;  Rev.  Charles  J.  Brown,  Edinburgh  ;  Rev.  William  Burns, 
Kilsyth;  Rev.  Patrick  Fairbairn,  Saltoun ;  Rev.  John  Macnaughtan, Paisley; 
and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Paterson,  Glasgow. 


WORKS 

PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW  ^ 


Glasgow  Lectures  on  Important  Subjects  continued. 

SABBATH  SCHOOLS. 

QIX  LECTURES  ON  SABBATH  SCHOOLS.  De- 
^  livered  at  the  Request  of  the  Glasgow  Sabbath 


School  Union. 
Denominations. 


By  Ministers  of  Various  Evangelical 
12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  Is.  6d. 


“  Their  successful  enforcement  of  the  Scripture  warrant  for  the  institu¬ 
tion,  of  the  Scriptural  principles  on  which  it  should  be  couducted,  and 
the  peculiar  qualifications  and  duties  of  those  who  engage  as  teachers, 
together  with  the  mature  Christian  wisdom  and  experience  which  the 
lecturers  evince,  give  the  freshness  of  novelty  to  the  discussion  of  a  subject 
which  in  no  other  single  work,  so  far  as  our  reading  goes,  is  treated  with 
anything  like  the  fulness  of  detail  and  the  practical  sagacity  which  emi¬ 
nently  characterise  this  useful  volume.’' — Guardian. 

HEADSHIP  OF  CHRIST. 

Q  EVEN  LECTURES  on  the  HEADSHIP  of  CHRIST 
^  as  Embodied  in  the  Constitution  and  Illustrated  in  the- 
History  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  By  Ministers  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  3s. 

“  These  Lectures  afford  a  concise,  distinct,  and  most  satisfactory  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  the  great  controversy  in  which  the  Church  of  Scotland  is  at  pre¬ 
sent  engaged.  Those  who  are  imperfectly  acquainted  with  the  Scriptural 
principles  involved  in  the  discussion  will  find  the  argument  from  the  Word 
of  God  and  the  History  of  the  Church’s  former  contendings  fully  stated  and 
faithfully  applied.  The  various  Lectures  are  written  in  a  style  which  does 
honour  to  the  learning  and  piety  of  them  authors.” 

POPERY. 

TWELVE  LECTURES  ON  POPERY.  Delivered  at 
the  Request  of  the  Glasgow  Protestant  Associa¬ 
tion.  By  Ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  8vo 
Cloth  Lettered,  3s. 

“  There  has  been  an  universal  expression  of  regret  that  this  course  is 
terminated,  and  during  the  whole  we  think  it  has  been  admirably  con¬ 
ducted.” 

INFIDELITY. 

TWELVE  LECTURES  ON  INFIDELITY:  Being  a  )% 
Sequel  to  the  Lectures  on  the  Evidences  of  Revealed 
Religion.  By  Ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  12mo 
Cloth  Lettered,  4s. 

“  This  is  an  invaluable  and  practical  course  of  Lectures.  Few  books  can 
be  more  interesting  and  useful,  especially  to  young  men.” 

CHRISTIAN  DOCTRINE. 

TWENTY-ONE  LECTURES  ON  CHRISTIAN  DOC- 
TRINES  AND  DUTIES.  By  Ministers  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered.  In  the  Press. 


The  above  Lectures  have  all  been  Printed  from  the  Manuscripts  of  the 
various  Authors,  and  are  Published  in  a  cheap,  although  at  the  same  time 
an  elegant  form,  to  render  them  accessible  to  aU  classes  of  society ,  and  obtain 
for  them  an  extensive  circulation. 


o)i~  ”7®/  , 

WORKS  '1* 

PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW 

$efo  ©JEorfcS. 

THE  HOLY  LAND. 


THE  MODERN 
x  EDOM, 


JUDEA,  AMMON,  MOAB,  AND 
compared  with  ANCIENT  PROPHECY. 
With  Notes  and  Engravings  illustrative  of  Biblical  Subjects, 
aud  a  Map  constructed  expressly  for  the  Work.  By  the  Rev. 
J.  A.  Wylie,  Dollar.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered.  Price  7s. 

“  In  order  fully  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  prophecies,  it  is  necessary 
to  form  an  accurate  conception  of  Judea  as  it  existed  in  the  time  of  our 
Saviour,  as  well  as  of  what  it  now  is.  Mr.  Wylie  has  perfectly  understood 
’  this,  and  has  given  a  delightful  picture  of  the  country  as  it  existed  in  its 
best  days,  possessing,  as  it  did,  within  its  plains  and  upon  the  sides  of  its 
terraced  and  richly  cultivated  mountains,  every  variety  of  climate,  and 
,  consequently  every  production  necessary  to  comfort  or  luxury.” — Witness. 

“  A  panorama  of  the  Holy  Land,  with  such  an  accuracy  of  outline  and 
beauty  of  colouring,  that  we  hesitate  not  to  pronounce  it  the  best  geography 
or  hand-book  of  that  interesting  country  that  exists  in  our  language.” — 
Scotsman. 

“  His  painstaking  investigations  have  enabled  him  not  only  to  improve 
in  some  respects  upon  the  plan  of  Dr.  Keith,  but  to  open  new  sources  of 
information,  to  accumulate  additional  confirmations  of  the  fulfilment  of 
prophecy.  The  work  is  written  in  a  pleasing  and  attractive  style,  often 
rising  to  a  strain  of  glowing  eloquence.” — Scottish  Guardian. 

“  There  are  few  pages  of  the  volume  which  do  not  furnish  us,  either  by 
incidental  allusions  or  by  direct  commentary,  with  beautiful  and  some¬ 
times  very  unexpected  illustrations  of  Scripture  metaphor,  imagery,  and 
oriental  phraseology.  This  unspeakably  enhances  the  value  of  the  work, 
and  will  render  it  a  most  acceptable  companion,  especially  to  all  our 
clerical  readers.  As  we  are  really  anxious  that  our  readers  should  have 
as  favourable  an  opinion  of  it  as  we  have  formed,  and  as  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  it  will,  we  are  persuaded,  infallibly  lead  to  such  an 
opinion,  we  shall  for  once  depart  from  our  usual  custom,  and  furnish  a  few 
passages,  which,  as  they  have  deeply  interested  ourselves,  will,  we  hope, 
commend  the  publication  to  all  over  whom  our  judgment  may  have  any 
influence.” — Dundee  Warder. 

“  It  would  be  impossible  to  follow  Mr.  Wylie  through  all  the  careful  col¬ 
lection  he  has  made  of  the  evidences  of  prophecy.  Not  a  spot  of  ground, 
not  an  event,  not  a  testimony  of  a  traveller  that  could  go  to  swell  the  grow¬ 
ing  tide  of  faith  has  he  omitted.  The  process,  from  the  prophecy  to  the 
fulfilment,  is  displayed  as  simply  and  accurately  as  if  by  a  sum  of  rule  of 
three.  But  Mr.  Wylie  is  not  a  mere  compiler — he  has  his  heart  in  the  sub¬ 
ject,  and  no  incons  derable  power  of  making  its  feeling  known.  Unless  our 
ear  for  rhythm  is  disordered,  there  is  much  touching  beauty  in  the  following 
apostrophe.  The  language  is  not  more  melodious  than  the  feeling  which 
it  conveys  is  beautiful.” — Britannia. 

FINDLATER’S  MEMOIRS. 

lyTEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  ROBERT  FINDLATER, 
Late  Minister  of  the  Chapel  of  Ease,  Inverness ;  together 
with  a  Narrative  of  the  Revival  of  Religion  at  Lochtayside, 
Perthshire,  in  1816  — 1819.  By  the  Rev.  William  Find- 
,  later,  Sutherlandshire.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered.  4s. 

“  In  the  onward  march  of  the  Church  to  full  reformation,  a  volume  such 
as  the  present  will  not  be  without  its  share  in  advancing  the  movement. 
It  will  rouse  individuals  here  and  there  to  observe  what  individual  energy 
1  may  be  made  the  instrument  of  effecting.  The  narrative  of  the  revival  at 
Lochtayside  is  deeply  interesting,  and  comes  before  the  public  at  a  season 
every  way  calculated  to  secure  it  notice.  We  trust  it  will  not  fail  of  attract- 
,  ing  that  regard  it  deserves.  We  need  not  press  this  volume  on  the  view  of 
Christian  ministers.  We  are  convinced  it  will  find  its  way  to  their  hands. 
Is  is  just  such  as  one  will  introduce  to  another,  and  which,  once  read,  will 
produce  the  desire  of  being  retained,  as  deserving  a  permanent  place  in  a 
minister’s  library.” — Scottish  Guardian. 

sv  ^  V  V""  ~"v  '"s/  ~V  St»\ 


Till 


!t  i»;gi  a 


WORKS 

ffl  PUBLISHED  BY  WILLIAM  COLLINS,  GLASGOW 


New  Works  continued. 

MANSE  GARDEN. 

THE  MANSE  GARDEN.  By  Nathaniel  Paterson, 
D.D.  Fourth  Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  3s.  6d. 

“  One  of  the  best  known  and  most  admired  books  in  thelanguage.  From 
John-o’-Groat’s  to  Maiden  Kirk,  where  is  the  parish  in  which  the  ‘  Manse 
Garden  ’  has  not  furnis  .ed  many  a  rich  treat  ? — There  never  was  a  book 
better  fitted  than  this  to  inspire  a  taste  for  gardening,  or  to  cherish  that 
taste  where  it  already  exists.  The  book,  besides,  is  written  with  so  much 
talent  and  sound  sense,  and  it  is  so  full  of  life,  and  hilarity,  and  sportive 
glee,  that  it  is  read  with  great  pleasure  even  by  those  who  take  little  inte¬ 
rest  in  gardening.  There  is  but  one  manse  in  a  parish  ;  but  in  most 
parishes  there  are  many  villas,  to  the  proprietors  of  which  this  book  must 
be  a  treasure.  The  appendix  on  the  minister’s  boy  is  a  rich  treat,  well 
worth  the  price  of  the  whole.” — Christian  Instructor. 

“  Out  of  all  sight  the  most  interesting  treatise  on  horticulture  that  we 
have  ever  read.” — Scottish  Guardian. 

DR.  LOVE. 

THE  REV.  DR.  LOVE,  of  Anderston, 
'bird  Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  5s. 

‘‘Seldom  have  we  perused  letters  evincing  such  a  degree  of  spirituality, 
or  breathing  a  holier  tone.  They  refresh  the  soul  with  the  fragrance  of  a 
piety  which  is  but  rarely  presented  to  the  view  in  these  times  of  turbulence 
and  tumult.” — Orthodox  Presbyterian. 

“  These  Letters  will  be  found  to  form  a  very  valuable  accession  indeed 
to  an  interesting  part  of  the  Christian  treasury,  taking  their  place  with  the 
letters  of  Rutherford,  Newton,  Romaine,  and  Hervey.” — Christian  Instructor. 


J  ETTERS 
Glasgow. 


ELDERSHIP. 

THE  ELDERSHIP  of  the  CHURCH  of  SCOTLAND; 

By  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Lorimer,  Minister  of  St.  David’s 
Parish,  Glasgow.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 

YOUNG  MEN. 

ELEVEN  LECTURES  TO  YOUNG  MEN.  By  Minis - 
ters  of  Various  Evangelical  Denominations.  Fourth 
Thousand.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 

“  We  hail  with  great  satisfaction  the  appearance  of  this  volume.  A 
better  work,  sa'  ing  always  the  Bible,  for  putting  into  the  hands  of  young 
persons,  does  not  exist.” — Witness. 

Of  this  Volume  nearly  4000  copies  have  been  sold  within  four  months. 

I  N  FI  DELITY. 

TWELVE  LECTURES  on  INFIDELITY.  A  Sequel  to 
the  Lectures  on  the ‘Evidences  of  Revealed  Religion. '  By 
Ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  12mo  Cloth,  4s. 

SABBATH  SCHOOLS. 

A  COURSE  of  LECTURES  on  SABBATH  SCHOOLS. 
■f*-  Delivered  at  the  Request  of  the  Glasgow  Sabbath  School 
Union.  By  Ministers  of  Various  Evangelical  Denomina¬ 
tions.  12mo  Cloth  Lettered,  Is.  6d. 

PROVERBS. 

THE  BOOK  of  the  PROVERBS  of  SOLOMON;  Ar- 
■*-  ranged  in  Subjects,  with  Commentary.  18mo  Cloth,  Is.  6d. 


Printed  by  William  Collins  &  Co  ,  Glasgow. 


